


Show Time! The Gym Leader Gala is Upon Us!

by thatarikuchan



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Pining, Second Chances, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22142767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatarikuchan/pseuds/thatarikuchan
Summary: When asked if she would be the Gym Leader Gala's nightly entertainment, Chrysolite was delighted, always enjoying performing for lavish parties and getting to sing sweet beautiful music. Until she's reminded of her past and how it will all come to a boiling point once again.A Certain Gym leader who normally doesn't do shindigs like this finds himself going and is met face to face with a love lost from long ago. Will the two actually get to rebuild from where their story was cut off, or will that door have shut on them both, doomed to be unrequited? Does Leon get to wear his fancy snapback??? So many questions, so little time.
Relationships: Nezu | Piers (Pokemon)/Original Female Character(s), Rose | Chairman Rose & Original Female Character(s), Rurina | Nessa & Yarrow | Milo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	1. Wyndon's Jewel

“Miss Delphinium, The chairman would speak to you now.” A soft but serious voice called. Chrysolite, who had been lost in her own thoughts, nodded and rose, following the tall slender woman to Chairman Rose’s office. Once inside the lavish room, she was greeted by Rose himself, who stood behind his desk and motioned for her to please take a seat.

“Ah there she is, thank you very much Oleana, that will be all.” He dismissed his secretary who gave a small bow and swiftly exited the room without a word, shutting the door behind her. Chrysolite surveyed the room briefly while she made her way to his desk. She knew the chairman was a grandiose type of sort, but this was the first time she actually had stepped foot in Rose Tower, let alone see his office on the top floor. Glass walls looked out all over the Galar region. Breathtaking honestly. When the chairman cleared his throat, she met his gaze and smiled, holding out her hand for a handshake.

“It is an honor to be here, Chairman Rose, my name is Chrysolite Delphinium. A pleasure to formally meet you.” She said. Her voice sounded just as angelic as her singing voice and Rose was delighted as he took her hand. “Pleasure is all mine I assure you! Now then, I don’t want to keep you too long, but I invited you here because I have a proposition for you. Please, have a seat.” He began, taking his seat. Chrysolite obliged and watched him carefully. She knew the chairman was fond of his mother and her repertoire, so on the entire trip here Chrysolite couldn’t help but question why he had sent for her and not her mother. 

“You see, Miss Delphinium, this year I want to make the annual Gym Leader Gala more...personable. The gym leaders I have now are of a younger crowd, and while your mother is usually my go-to for such lavish gatherings, I figured you could fit the same bill, but in a way that my gym leaders would much rather prefer. From how flawless your complexion is, how pristine you keep yourself, how striking your hair is, all the way to how you seem to possess your very own signature voice of the heavens, I think the gym leaders would truly be in for a treat and be honored to have you perform for them. You all seem to be around the same age groups anyways, if nothing else, my guests will be comfortable because despite how you appear, you have this approachable air about you as well. Something truly genuine, it's hard to explain, but I already have good faith in you should you choose to accept this offer.” Rose explained, his compliments causing Chrysolite to blush slightly, but she nodded. “Well, I do try my best to maintain my image. For my family’s sake of course. And, it is no secret I enjoy performing for cocktail parties, given this of course would be on a much grander scale.” She began, tucking back a tuft of her behind her ear. Rose’s compliments were not simply empty words- Chrysolite truly did have flawless porcelain skin, her long uniquely naturally pink and blue hair that somewhat resembled a shiny obstagoon was always well kept and usually tied into twin ponytails, a decorative clip keeping them in place. Bangs were swept to the side and not a single strand was left out of place. Not only that, but she was known to wear gorgeous dresses just because. She donned a more simple yellow dress for this meeting, matching heels, a pearl bracelet, and white clutch purse finished off the look. Seen in person, it's no wonder she was nicknamed “The Jewel of Wyndon”.

“Thank you for your kind words and for placing your faith in me. I shall do my best not to disappoint.” Chrysolite concluded as she stood to give a small curtsy.

“Splendid! We can discuss payment once we go over more terms. Unfortunately I must be going. There is another meeting I must attend to, but do expect another visit shortly in the future!” He said, obviously delighted at her acceptance. “Oleana will see you out shortly. Give my regards to your mother as well.” Chrysolite nodded and waited to be escorted out by his secretary. 

On her trip back to her house in Wyndon, she hummed to herself happily, it was always nice to be booked for a new show, but one that came from the chairman himself was something of the highest honor. Chrysolite enjoyed the silent ride home, no doubt bracing herself for the onslaught of interrogating her mother would be subjecting her to, as well as the increased number of practices. This was the only downside to being booked for such a highly esteemed event- her mother would no doubt be drilling her constantly, as if she wasn’t drilled enough already. In her 20’s and yet her mother still ruled over her with a vice grip. The last time she had tried to defy her parents’ path for her, it did not go well at all. Chrysolite had such a warm, pleasant demeanor, you would not guess it was a result from the intense punishment she received from her teenage years. She shook her head and sighed softly as the taxi driver opened the door for her once they reached her house. She said her thanks and let herself inside. Sure enough, her mother was waiting for her on the sofa and only stood when Chrysolite had walked over to her. Mrs. Delphinium was not a force to be reckoned with, so Chrysolite sat there and took the verbal onslaught as best she could, a rehearsed act by this point. “You will have increased vocal lessons till this event.” “Be sure to dress like a proper lady, do not let your hair become unruly in the slightest, lest you tarnish our name.” “Do please Chairman Rose in whichever ways he wishes, remember he is doing you a favor.” Things of similar sorts were said but Chrysolite just nodded all the same and only spoke when her mother gave the cue for her to speak.

“Chairman Rose sends you his regards. Now please excuse me, I must prepare for my vocal lessons today.” She said softly to which her mother hummed in amusement. Chrysolite wasted no time once her mother allowed her to retreat upstairs. In most cases, her parents left her to her own devices for lesser gigs and shows, however she knew this one would be different. 

_ Not just another cocktail party, Chrissi. _

* * *

She sighed heavily and layed down on her bed. Chairman Rose took a liking to their family most likely due to how similar her parents’ interests were with his. Her room was a mix of golds and whites, decorations were of crystals and flowers. Her bed was much too large for her liking, but at least it was as comfortable as it looked. Chrysolite’s thoughts swirled. She was really excited for the event, but one thing had donned on her amidst the droning her mother was doing downstairs. 

_ How long has it been? ...five, six years? Would he actually show? _

* * *

  
  


_ Long before her adulthood, Chrysolite one day ventured out of Hammerlocke to a hole in the wall rock gig after one of her smaller shows. Doing the best she could, she tried to blend in with the locals, though there was no way she could match the punkish attire of black and pink that seemed to possess the crowd. Thankfully, no one had cared who she was or what she looked like, they only seemed to be wild for whoever was to perform next at this joint. She made herself comfortable alongside one of the walls and enjoyed the rowdy crowd, a completely new world to what she had been used to. Soon enough the next act was announced and out walked an interesting individual. A tall boy who looked like he hadn’t slept very well. Truly apathetic appearance, coupled with such striking black and white hair that he kept in a ponytail, bang covering part of his face. However when he grabbed hold of the mic and introduced himself, albeit a bit shyly, things changed very quickly. It was as if the music took hold of his entire being and he became incredibly lively and energetic. The crowd ate up how he pandered to them, his movements in time with the music and strategic winks to people in the crowd had them swooning. Any good performer knew how to balance these mannerisms, but that’s not what caught Chrysolite’s attention. No, this teenager who looked no older than she was that stood before her seemed to possess such a heavenly voice. More than that though, she was enamored with how he used it. The songs and lyrics he sang were completely new for her and she couldn’t help but be fascinated. He must have caught her staring because during one particularly slow part of the song he was singing, he made it a point to keep her gaze and smiled. From then on, she made it a point to sneak away from her already rigorous schedule of lessons to see him perform. And unbeknownst to her, the boy took note. Each time she came to see him perform, she tried her best to dress casually, after one performance, she even bought one of the shirts he had for sale. Slowly but surely, this well put together posh girl had somehow found herself transformed into a natural rock fan, and that fact alone amused him. She was a giveaway with that hair of hers and he could only grin seeing her let loose amidst his own music.  _

_ “ Name’s Piers, ‘m not that great of a person, but singing and songwriting is my passion. What’s yours?” _

_ Even the way he spoke caught her off guard but she smiled relieved at how humble the boy was.  _

_ “You can call me Chris. Funny enough, I share the exact same passions. You’ve got a lovely voice you know that?”  _

_ “Tch, can’t be all that great.” _

_ “It was enough to get me to change completely now wasn’t it? Isn’t that the reason you are talking to me now?” _

_ Piers had blushed slightly and scratched the side of his head. “Got me beat there. ‘ave to admit, it's been a real treat watching your transformation. Kind of like an honor. Been pretty fun seeing a posh Wyndon type turn rough and rowdy like the rest of Spikemuth.” He said with a smirk and Chrysolite was the one who blushed now. “Was it that obvious?” _

_ Piers chuckled. “ ‘course mate. Difference is, my fans and I don’t make such a fuss over such things. Everyone is welcome as they are.” _

_ From that day on, the two had gotten closer and closer until they finally decided to date in secret. Chrysolite shared her world with Piers and he opened her eyes to his, both parties intrigued in the differences the other had. Going into this, Chrysolite knew it would be a long shot in the dark to continue this relationship undetected, but when Piers had willingly agreed to enter it, she was able to breathe and just allow the cards to fall where they may. What started as a simple spark grew into such a magnificent light of lyrical prowess and musical ecstasy. Piers was steadily making a name for himself in his rock career and Chrysolite was climbing the ranks as a classical singer herself. Both supported each other’s successes and cherished the private moments they were allowed to share. These nights she was able to forget her reality, safely wrapped in the embrace of a rockstar-to-be who spoke of his dreams and ran his fingers through her hair. They’d often hum a song together and this would later become the last thing either kept of the other. It would mark their unravelling, but neither truly cared. Determined to ride out this short-lived fairytale to the end and enjoy it, Piers’ and Chrysolite’s love grew far out of control. As if it was the one thing they craved more than anything in the world and had found it with each other. No acts to maintain, no rumors, no hesitance for being themselves, and someone who truly showed them it was ok to just be them and not carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Filling this void of safety and comfort that neither ever got to know. _

_ “Piers…” _

_ “Yeah, love?”  _

_ “I’m scared.” _

_ “Why?” _

_ “Because I’ve never wanted to keep something so precious and dear to me so close in my entire life. And I know...I can’t have you forever.” _

_ “...Then let's just enjoy this moment. Tomorrow will come, sure, but right now, we can at least be together and no one can take that from us.” _

_ “You are right.” _

_Over time, Chrysolite became more wild and reckless during the shows, letting down her long pink and blue hair, head banging just like the rest of them. She began to hide her leather attire and jet black jackets she purchased very discreetly in her bedroom. Rumors began to pop up of a certain girl with unique hair seen jamming out with other Spikemuth residents, though when confronted, Chrysolite denied all accusations, easily being able to list off time stamps of when she should have been at practices. Her vocal trainer was on Chrysolite’s side and covered for her, seeing how strenuous the then seventeen year old was being worked and how her entire personality changed once she began dating Piers in secret. It truly was quest of pure love, like a beautiful flower finally blooming in all its glory. And so she continued unapologetically following her heart. And the feeling kept growing. And growing. Until it felt like she would burst._

_ On the night of his biggest show to date, Piers had actually managed to draw in a crowd large enough to nearly filled Spikemuth’s arena. Chrysolite had met him in secret earlier that day to wish him all the best and to apologize because she would be late. There was a gig in Hammerlocke she could not postpone but assured Piers she would most definitely be there as soon as she could be considering the concert wouldn’t start till halfway through her performance.  _

_ “If you tell me what you come dressed as, I’ll make sure security lets you up front whenever you do arrive.” _

_ “Hehe, don’t worry, it’ll just add to the experience if I am treated like everyone else.” _

_ “Well, suit yourself.” _

_ He had looked like he wanted to say much more in that moment, but insisted he’d tell her when she got there and Chrysolite agreed. But...that moment would never come. _

* * *

Even now as Chrysolite brushed out her hair and changed into and oversized sweatshirt- one she treasured much more than her life- the memory caused her to grimace. 

“...I let him down. ...I’ll never know what he wanted to tell me that day…” She said softly to herself, lacing her brush down in front of her vanity mirror. Her eyes honed in on two particular dark spots, bruises, at the base of her neck and one on her arm that wasn’t visible in the other dress from her meeting. Her grimace stayed as she applied foundation. She wasn’t satisfied until her coverage was flawless. Once again the image is perfectly by design. That night she cried silently to herself over a love from years passed and how it’s flames were snuffed out so abruptly.

“Chrysolite...why can’t you be strong for once?”


	2. My, What a Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers and Nessa have a heart to heart

Word of the annual Gym Leader Gala travelled almost as quickly as Rose had hired his entertainment for the set night and most of the leaders had already RVSP’d for themselves. Even Leon, the champion, answered in a timely fashion. Rose of course allowed the gym leaders to invite their families and friends of their choosing along with specific people he invited to the list as well. Everyone seemed to be on board with the idea and were especially receptive to the younger talent that would be gracing them for the night. Except one leader who never really held an obvious opinion over such things.

“So he finally listened to us and got someone who doesn’t strike the fear of the heavens into us by just a sheer look.” Nessa had said during one of their meetings once Rose had excused himself. 

“Well, maybe don’t bank on it so hard? Looks like this singer comes from the same family. Do you think he hired the daughter instead?” Milo had made a good point to which Opal nodded. 

“Indeed he did Milo! Chrysolite, like her mother, is classically trained yes, but something that most of you would enjoy more is the simple fact that Chrysolite enjoys singing jazz, pop, acoustics and a lot more genres the younger crowds prefer. She is an established cocktail singer and is quite nice if you give her a chance to warm up to you.” She decided to inform the group briefly but thoroughly about it before standing up. It seemed to do the trick because soon enough the other leaders all seemed much more at ease with Rose’s decision. Everyone except Piers that is. Most of them didn’t pay it any mind, but Nessa, she knew something was different about this brooding. It read subtly in his mannerisms, in the slight change in his expression, the way his eyes looked over the invitation repeatedly. Finally, she nudged him in the side with her elbow and raised an eyebrow. “What's up?” she mouthed when he looked up at her, looking more serious than usual. “I’ll tell you about it when we get out of here.” He said quietly, knowing she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Nessa knew him too well, despite her gym being in the minor division. Their mutual understanding of taking on extra workloads outside of their gym duties led to them usually sympathizing with crazed work schedules- her with her modelling career taking off and his with his music career. When they were younger they said they would try to collaborate one day and to this day still mean it. The rest of the meeting went on as usual, gym leaders discussing the challenge, imagining what the gala would be like this year, Leon wondering if he could get away with wearing one of his snapbacks for it and Nessa voicing her disdain when Raihan and Gordie decided they were determined to make Leon’s fancy snapback look happen. When she finally looked to her side to check on Piers again, she only caught the glimpse of him leaving the room silently. Which even for Piers was uncharacteristic. 

“Hey! Wait up!.” She called down the hall running after the Dark type gym leader. Piers halted in his tracks and looked over his shoulder, waiting for the Water type gym leader to catch up. “Thought you could just sneak out without me noticing did ya?”

“It almost worked, didn’t it?” He responded, relaxing just a bit from how tense he was in that room. Piers gave her a sly smile as she put a hand on her hip. “Almost, but you miscalculated how fast I would bolt after having to be subjected to Leon’s fashion mishaps and wrongful encouragement from his best friend.” She said, causing the taller man to snort. “Now what gives? You’re vibes are atrocious today. More so than usual.”

Piers chuckled, and Nessa was pleased that she was able to break his icy exterior once more. His laughter turned into a sigh as they walked out of the Rose of the Rondelands. “Ugh sometimes it bothers me how keen you are, Nessie.” He said looking down at the invitation in his hand once again. Nessa smirked. “I’ve known you for the better part of my twenty two years of life, Piers. Its kinda hard for you to hide things from me. Now you wanna do this while we walk around Wyndon, or do you wanna duck into somewhere and talk privately?” She asked as they walked aimlessly across one of the bridges.

“Eh…” He thought about it for a bit. “We don’t have to sit and talk, I am thirsty though, let’s grab some boba or somethin’ from that one place we like.” He finally answered, much to Nessa’s delight. 

“You mean from Treehouse? Heck ya man, I’m always down for my favorite boba.” She nodded happily and they walked side by side to their destination.

* * *

With drinks in their possession, they continued their walk of Wyndon, Nessa suggesting they stroll through one of their botanical gardens. 

“Just so if I’m forcibly making you talk about some touchy subject, you have somethin’ nice to at least look at.” She explained. Piers shrugged but went along with it. In hindsight, he was grateful for it. 

“Alright, so you know how you think we have shared all of our secrets with each other, ya?” He began shortly after they entered and Nessa nodded, keeping up with his pace. “Yeah? We’ve pretty much been open books with each other. Wait don’t tell me. You actually have something else you need to confess?” Piers rolled his eyes but nodded.

“Correct genius, now can I talk on my terms or are you gonna just jump to conclusions in the midst of this story? ‘Cause if I’m bein’ honest...It’s probably a story you’re gonna enjoy.” He teased.

“Oh? Piers, Spikemuth’s pride and joy has some sort of secret story that lil ol’ me will adore? I’ll be quiet I promise.” She answered him back playfully as they were seemingly headed towards a specific part of the gardens.

“Cool so um, I was about fifteen, sixteen at the time. Had a time slot at one of Hammerlocke’s hole in the wall joints. Place crowded as hell so I really don’t even know how I spotted her other than how she was dressed. And of course that hair of hers. Never seen anythin’ like it.”

Nessa’s eyes widened listening to what he said, but he gave her a wink and made a shush gesture, as if to remind her she promised to be silent. She pouted but nodded and Piers continued. 

“Now, you know how I am onstage, I gave the crowd what they wanted of course. Played some of my cruddy early stage punk rock. They ate it up at the time, oh gosh it was thrilling. I saw her staring, not really phased at all by what I was doing onstage, it was more of a uh, kind of like an enamored look o’ sorts. It was obvious she was posh Wydon type. She truly looked like a deerling in headlights y’know? Like she’d just got her first taste of the genre, the whole atmosphere really. Pretty cute honestly.” Nessa couldn’t help the smile that crept on her face as she watched how his face softened telling this story. It was rare to see Piers so...happy, but she didn’t dare poke fun of him for it. Nessa nodded and sipped on her tea, encouraging Piers to continue.

“Anyways, one thing led to another, and she kept comin’ back to the shows. Must ‘ave been doin’ somethin’ right is what I figured. But that wasn’t what got me. What got me was seeing how she slowly but surely unraveled from how...elegant and pristine of an appearance she had until she blended right in with the rest of my Spikemuth denizens. That...that spoke to me. I was just some tired teen making time to write music at absurd hours of the night, caring for my younger sibling during the day, balancing life struggles and the sort. And to see that this breathing gem literally transformed because of my subpar music. I dunno Nessi, it just did things to me. And that's cheesy as hell to say but it's the only way I could put it.” He paused and looked at her before laughing at how into his story she was getting, seriously fighting the urge to interrupt. “Oh hell, didn’t think you’d be this intrigued so quick. I guess I should continue?” Piers teased drinking some of his tea as she grinned and vigorously nodded her head.

“Ok ok, so where was I? Right..so anyway, I had to talk to her. Girl has been comin’ to the past dozen shows and basically transformed into a rocker herself. MAkes it a point to stand somewhere I can see her. I catch her after one show and introduce myself and its easy to see she’s pretty shy but playin’ it cool. Tell her how I enjoyed seeing her transformation because of my music and she turns red as if she wasn’t used to bein’ read like a book. And I’m just thinking ‘Ah she’s adorable’. But get this, says to call her Chris and she also sings and writes music. Wants to be more of a cocktail singer, comes with the Wyndon territory I guess. Says she’s never really heard anyone with a voice like mine and use it to “enlighten the masses” or for just raw emotion. And that is what gets me. One thing leads to another, we start dating, life is great, ‘cept..”

He stopped in front of a sea of lilies and looked out over them with a sigh. Nessa tilted her head.

“...She warned me. Oh Nessa she warned me so much.” He said softly and shook his head, kicking a pebble. “But...I was just as stubborn as she was and we continued. We made it work because we wanted it to work out so badly. Never in my life have I met someone like her. Never in my life have I met someone so drastically different but who could relate so easily with me. She felt the same, heh, jeez I’m just such a mess even now.” Piers laughed at himself and brushed back his hair. “Two individuals from entirely different worlds that craved the simple thing we call love. Words of devotion. Feelings of adoration. A safe haven in the insanity that was life. We both knew it was nearly impossible to go on like that, but… regardless we continued seeing each other. She was sneaking out of some serious vocal trainings- her mother was a ruthless tyrant. I should have seen the signs sooner. Chris never wanted to scare me. She never lied but she didn’t want to explain the bruises I found… I didn’t push her to either. Some things are better left unsaid y’know?” At this point, he wasn’t exactly talking to Nessa, ore of just reliving hidden moments from the past. Nessa frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder to try and ground him. Sure Piers was sharing something very heartfelt and going through it all from the top, but she had a feeling this was much harder for him to be doing than he was letting on. He looked down at her and sighed. “You’re right. Let me stay focused on telling you what happened.”

“It was the day of my biggest show to date, managed to get the leader of Spikemuth at the time to agree to let me use their arena for it. Chris and I met earlier in Hammerlocke and she said she’d be running late. Had a gig she just could not get out of which I understood. I remember that day clearly, but I won’t bore you with the details. Important thing to note was that I had something I really wanted to tell her. I fell hard. Extremely hard Nessa. It was risky, sure, but I figured we let ourselves be this delusional for this long, might as well speak it into existence y’know? And so before I could even bring it up, she asked what else I wanted to say. I thought about telling her there, in that little cafe, but that just felt like I was chickening out. So I told her I would tell her when she made it to the show and she promised she would be there. But...she never made it. I looked desperately through that crowd while I was on stage. Crowd went nuts for me yeah yeah, you know the drill. Horny teens and adults were in that stadium, typical rowdy types too, but she wasn’t there. When the concert was over, one of the gym trainers informed me of seeing her earlier and she got ambushed by paparazzi. I rushed out of the city, but the only thing that gave way she was ever there was her hair clip. She must’ve tried to fight them off and it flew off. I kept it of course, hoping I’d see her again. And I did, but...she was in bad shape. Everything she had been keeping secret was spelled out in the tabloids the next day. She was basically locked away in her house and never let out again. She urged me not to come looking for her, fearing for my own safety... And this is the part where I really get you off guard. Y’know that singer Rose always hires for the gala?”

Nessa’s eyes widened suddenly. “Oh my god Piers..”

He chuckled and shot her a knowing look. “Mrs. Delphinium is a wretched woman. And waaaay too high-strung for you to ever see me caught dead in Rose’s parties. Delphinium’s daughter however….well, Don’t know how she’s doin’ lately but….I hope she’s ok.” Piers concluded with a shrug.

Nessa nearly choked on one of her boba pearls and she grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him.

“Piers what in the actual fuck?! You need to go to this one then!!!!” She shouted and he tried his best to calm his friend down. “A-ah Nessa down! Please! I’ve got an image to maintain!” 

“Your image went out the window with that story you poor heartbroken man, oh my god! Piers! We have to go now! She could literally be wandering around right now! We are in Wyndon!!”

The tall man allowed himself to be dragged out of the gardens and laughed at how hysterical his friend was over his confession. “Of all people to have some secret forbidden love, it’d be you! I cannot believe this, and then you just tell me like you’re over it, but you’re not! You truly are not over this and it reads all over your face. People go their whole lives waiting for someone to talk about them the way you did of this girl, the way you sighed in bliss describing her. It was like looking at an entirely different Piers, and you have the audacity to tell me that you just hope she’s ok?? You’re going to the gala this year. You have to. The universe does not give chances like this for true love often, you owe it to yourself!” Nessa was going on and on while they walked to the Corviknight taxis, and Piers let her, used to how passionate Nessa could get over certain topics. And considering this was Piers’ first actual love story, it's no wonder Nessa got so invested. 

* * *

After an hour of insisting and convincing Piers to go to the gala, the man finally relented and Nessa saw him off. She was sworn to secrecy of course, which was fine. Nessa wasn’t one to divulge gossip with the other leaders anyway, especially since Piers usually kept to himself. Nessa never betrayed his trust of course, besides, there was plenty he knew about her as well. It was still sending her reeling though and no matter how many times she went over it in her head she couldn't help but desperately want to hug him thinking of the way the light faded from his eyes as he recounted the tale of this lost love. From seeing a completely new side of him, how blissful he was just speaking of this girl to this immense sadness he just laughed off as if it was no problem. Like it was just some minor inconvenience he had to deal with on top of everything else in his life.

“Oh Piers, you must be so broken… I know I would be if I didn’t get any sort of closure. May Arceus shine down on you and your kind heart for this night, friend.” She spoke to herself. Thankfully the trip back to Hammerlocke wasn’t too big of an issue once she bid Piers goodbye in Spikemuth. Nessa called up Raihan earlier in the day asking if she could crash at his place, cleverly dodging his questions of why she ran off with Piers. The dragon type gym leader didn’t expect her to be back so late and raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Rai its not like that. Just had some catchin’ up to do!” She answered when he let her inside. “Of course you did, that’s why ya blew the rest of us off. Shoulda seen Lee’s disappointment when I said you were MIA and wouldn’t be joinin’ us for dinner.” He teased causing her to laugh as she made herself comfortable on his couch.

“Well I half expected him to be here right now, we’d have a real heart to heart about his poor fashion decisions and how you encourage him to be the clown!” She said playfully, earning a hearty laugh from Raihan. “Funny you should say that, he’s actually showering upstairs.” Nessa smiled. “Good, you know I enjoy spending time with my two favorite boys!”

Nessa’s evening went well, hearing of Leon’s escapades and Raihan’s was always fun. Her talk with Piers stayed in the back of her mind, but neither of the boys in front of her needed to know any part of that. And they wouldn’t. Her phone buzzed a couple hours later and she smiled at the text she had received.

  
  


_ Thanks mate. For listenin’ to my shameless ramblings. :) _

  
  


_ Anytime. We should go outfit shopping later. :) _

  
  


_ Y’know, I think I’ll actually take you up _

_ on that. _

  
  
  


* * *

Piers smiled and placed his phone down. He was grateful Marnie didn’t question him or how he was acting when he came home. Locked away in his room he laid across his bed, face down in the pillows and sighed in frustration. “Years of pushing this all the way down all for it to come spilling out like that? How pathetic are you?” He muffled to himself against the pillows. Piers definitely was not like Raihan and though he could act flirtatious on stage and put up a cool guy front, he struggled heavily with his feelings for Chrysolite. Until he just drilled it into his head that he wasn’t good enough. That it was somehow his fault. Until today that is. He didn’t like being so vulnerable or that he opened up so easily with Nessa about it all, but she always had a way of keeping him at ease. Never judgemental. It's part of why they were such close friends. He sighed after a while and got off his bed. He rummaged through one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a gorgeous lily shaped hair clip made up of pink and purple crystals.

“I’ll finally get to give this back to you, whether you’ll have me or not.”

That night he did have trouble sleeping, it was nothing new for him at this point. Tired became part of his personality long ago and not just a state of being. Only difference was he didn’t have to feel guilty about not being good enough to care for Marnie since she was old enough to look out for herself now. It meant he had more time to sort through his own personal struggles. Like Chrysolite. It bothered him much more than he could admit honestly. He was bitter in parts. He wished she had fought back, but he knew why she wouldn’t. Piers didn’t like the way his heart felt thinking about how sad she must have been. Hell, he didn’t like thinking about how sad he was then either. He didn’t really get to sort through any of it until now- always so busy. Always so damn tired.

Somethings never change though, which is why its 3 A.M. and he’s in the shower singing to himself the only duet he’s ever written. 

It’s 3 A.M. and Piers’s voice is shaky.

  
  


It’s 3 A.M., and Piers is crying in the shower.


	3. Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone seems to be gearing up for the gala, and with only 3 weeks to prep, just how will our gym leaders fare?  
> Meanwhile, Chrysolite confides in a friend, who then in turn uses her status to help her out, and Nessa gets a surprise herself! Piers and Marnie get their own proposition, from the chairman himself! Rose makes an offer even Piers can't refuse.
> 
> But more importantly, which hat is Leon gonna pick?

“Chrissi dear I assure you it looks lovely. A young woman like yourself with a figure like that can and should be turning heads. You want people to look at you in admiration, give em somethin’ to enjoy besides your voice.” A voice hummed in amusement as Chrysolite was trying to convince herself to walk out of the dressing room she was in. She had met up with her best friend to go try on outfits for the gala and now found herself increasingly shy in the keyhole dress that was handed to her. Ironically enough, it just happened to be Chairman Rose’s wife, Cressida. Cressida was older than Chrysolite, had two daughters with the chairman around the ages of eight and nine respectively. Cressida could very well have been Chrysolite’s mother too, but that would have meant she would have had to have birthed Chyrsolite in her teenage years. Regardless, the two became fast friends over the many years that Chrysolite was dragged along to meetings with the Chairman that her mother insisted she be present for “in order to get a foot in the door”. 

A simple flip of her long forest green hair and the tapping of an impatient heel echoed in Chrysolite’s head, but she didn’t care. Immobilized by how the dress accentuated features she herself never even thought of. When did she come into her womanly figure? When? She supposed when nothing but toxic family life and singing are the only things drilled into her head, she kind of forgot that she in fact did go through puberty. She in fact did have to come to terms with not being a true MezzoSoprano anymore but instead an Alto. She did have to overcome her mother’s immense disappointment. A sigh left her mouth as she swayed about in the dress. A high side slit showed off her long slender legs, coupled with the already revealing keyhole in the dress that put more of her breast on display than she had in her entire life, it was almost too much. Alluring was a word that came to mind, and that thought made her red in the face. The dress wasn’t raunchy or anything of the sort, it was actually very flattering for her, but Chrysolite had never had a proper body positive image when growing up outside of “you shall be covered, your face is pretty enough”. In this moment, she supposed that wasn’t very body positive after all. She peeked her head out from the door

“Cressida...I don’t know if I can pull this off….It’s um, don’t you think this shows off..too much?” She practically squeaked out and Cressida rolled her eyes and walked over to her. “Chrissi just trust me, you don’t look like a whore, just come out here and show me! The suspense is killing me. I want to see how the adult Chrysolite has blossomed!” Her friend did her best to encourage her and Chrysolite sighed before unlocking the chain on the door and stepping out, Cressida practically dragging her by the wrist before twirling her around. 

“Awww it’s super cute! Come come! Let’s go look in the mirrors!” Cressida chimed happily, completely ignoring how awkward Chrysolite felt and was failing miserably in trying to cover herself up as if she was wearing something so scandalous. The shop workers on the floor looked on in awe and smiled at the pair of ladies who made their way to the show mirrors. It wasn’t rare for them to see Cressida frequent the store, especially in preparation for one of Chairman Rose’s parties. Rose would hand Cressida his platinum card, say “buy somethin’ nice honey” and that was it. Sometimes he himself would have things express ordered from this shop specifically for her as well. What was a treat however, was seeing Chrysolite trying on dresses outside of her mother’s jurisdiction. Cressida brought out the best in the shy girl and the shopkeepers loved it. Rather than catty and jealous, they were all secretly rooting for her happiness and to realize just how blessed she got with her looks and personality.

“See Chrissi? It’s a perfect fit, shows the girls off just right, and draws just the right amount of attention to your hips! Plus its in dark blue and shimmers, just how you like!” Cressida held onto Chrysolite’s shoulders and had basically positioned her into a model pose. Chrysolite was used to it, but gave her friend a nervous smile.

“A-are you sure? What if the chairman finds it offensive or too revealing or-”

“Honey, I have two kids with the man.” Cressida cut her off. “Furthermore, have you seen how my fashion disaster husband dresses in ‘disguise’? Of course you have. This would be perfectly fine. Amongst the sea of women that try to sleep with him for money knowing full well I am right fucking there, you would be a refreshing sight. Maybe even catch one of the gym leaders’ fancies, y’know? A little innocent romance never killed anyone.” She said playfully looking over her work and nodding in amusement.

Chrysolite flinched and went red in the cheeks once more when she mentioned the gym leaders. She knew Cressida would had to have noticed that and could see her smirk in the mirror. A hand was placed under her chin. “Oh? Does my shy sweet friend fancy one of the leaders? Do tell, do tell, we can put shopping on hold for a while.” Cressida said with a raised eyebrow. At first, Chrysolite shook her head, but then knowing full well Cressida had ways of getting her to talk she pouted but nodded. 

“C-can we at least go somewhere with less nosy ears? These shop girls look at me the way you do when I have something juicy to say.” She mumbled, side eyeing a few that were now very intrigued. The cons of shopping in Wyndon’s fashion district- not many folks frequented the fancier stores. Cressida only chuckled and nodded. “Of course, I’ll leave this on hold in case you decide you change your mind!”She began, walking Chrysolite back to her dressing room. “Ladies, we’ll be returning later!”

* * *

  
  


Once out of the shop and in a nearby cafe, the girls sat in one of the booths reserved specifically for the chairman and his family. It was separate from the rest of the restaurant and for once, Chrissi was grateful Cressida was using her status.

“Now then, spill it. Which man or woman has your fancy?” The older said bluntly after their server placed down her glass of wine. 

“Cressida it’s like two in the afternoon.”

“Oh I’m sorry, are you the mum friend or am I? Do not shame me for having my rose when clearly someone has been keeping secrets~” Cressida teased, taking a sip from her glass. Chrysolite smiled and drank some of her lemonade, knowing full well that she was about to shock the daylights out of her friend. Thankfully for Chrysolite, her urge to take Cressida by surprise was greater than her shyness and embarrassment about admitting her years long secret love for Piers. If only slightly. It was very rare for Chrysolite to have the high ground on such a powerful woman, even if they were best friends, so she relished in this factor. 

“Well...Sorry for keeping it a secret, but um..it’s not so much I ‘fancy’ one of them as it is that um...Well I may have been seeing Piers in secret back when I was a teen and we...didn’t exactly get to resolve things the way people usually get to…..” She said softly and the sound of glass slamming onto the table caught her off guard.

“Oh Chrissi dear speak up, I could have sworn you said that you dated Piers back in the day. That’s quite funny considering how unruly your own mother was and still tries to be concerning you.” Cressida said in a sweet tone, trying very hard to mask her shock. Chrysolite nodded.

“You remember the tabloids that had me plastered across the front page? Surely you do Cressida, as a connoisseur of gossip and scandalous things in Wyndon.” Chrysolite continued, earning a playful glare from her friend. “Of course, the ones were you tried very hard to deny that was not you dressed as a little wannabe punk right outside of Spikemuth. With that god awful hat. Not your best decision hmm?” Cressida recalled the magazine with ease and Chrysolite giggled.

“Right so...tell me then Cressida. If I wasn't dating Piers, and if I obviously wasn’t the one in the picture, why do I have his bracelet in said photo?” Chrysolite asked as she showed her a picture of the old magazine she had on her phone. Cressida leaned forward to inspect it and her eyes widened. “No way.the little wallflower was sleepin’ with the notorious rockstar, wow! Thats a new level for you Chrysolite, now if only we could get you more comfortable showin’ a lil skin in a dress, we’d be done shopping by now!” She exclaimed and Chrysolite could feel her cheeks flush again, hastily putting away her phone. 

“W-we were not sleeping together! But we were dating at the time. ...He’s not so mean as people tend to think. He’s kind, and r-really sweet!” Chrissi defended herself before continuing, not noticing how she trailed off into thinking out loud. “...We were very happy together honestly… Those eyes of his, and his warm embrace. Stronger than he looks too...I miss him…”

Cressida grinned, listening to her friend gush about her past love. “Well if it was so good, what happened? You get caught?” She asked, being blunt once more. It was effective and Chrysolite frowned, propping her head up on her arm. “Well you know… Mom wasn’t furious because I was just skipping rehearsals ike I had said before. She was furious because I almost ‘tarnished’ the family name. But she could never prove we had been dating. I got literally locked away in my room and only let out for rehearsals and lessons and potential jobs. ...And she didn’t stop there, Cressida.” Chrysolite’s demeanor completely changed and for whatever reason Cressida figured the girl wasn’t just being dramatic. 

“What did she do?” She asked in a serious tone, her eyes focused completely on her friends.

Chrysolite averted her eyes, her frown deepening.

“Chrissi, what did she do?” She repeated, watching the way her friend’s lip started trembling.

“She beat me, Cressi. My own mother. She decided since I wanted to act like the rubbish on the streets that I should be treated as such. And it drove her mad she couldn’t prove Piers and I were dating. Oh it was awful, Cressida! A-and the things she swore up and down she would do to him if she ever saw him around these parts. ...I had to sneak out just to tell him briefly. Way too briefly that h-he couldn’t risk it. I...I never got to tell him I loved him. I never got the chance to tell him. I was supposed to be at that concert and he was supposed to tell me something, and I knew it was important, I knew it was! But the paparazzi, a-and the pictures, a-and-”

A gentle hand lifted Chrysolite’s head. Cressida gave her a sympathetic look and patted her cheek slightly before handing her some napkins. “Oh honey...Here lets get you cleaned up.” She didn’t need to hear anymore, but the fire that raged in Cressida’s heart could not begin to be described. “You’re staying over tonight. And as for...this, Piers will be there. And we’re going to make sure you get that closure Chrissi.” She spoke in such a soothing tone as she wiped a few of her tears away. Cressida’s statements were just that. She was in no way shape or form asking Chrysolite to stay over, she was saying Chrysolite _would_ be staying over. And knowing how close the chairman was to his wife, Piers would definitely be showing his face this year as opposed to all the years and events she can recall that he didn’t show, much to the chairman’s dismay. Yes, Cressida could be one noted as the ‘mom friend,’ but boy did Chrysolite certainly not mind in the slightest when it came to matters like this. She gave a small smile and used one of the napkins to wipe away the rest of her tears. “A-are you sure?” She choked out and Cressida smirked. 

“Darling, my husband would do anything for me, surely you know this by now. If I tell him that I want to do something special for a friend and it involves just having the presence of one of his gym leaders, he’ll make it happen. Even Piers can’t refuse an offer from the chairman if it will benefit Spikemuth. And with some simple persuasion, Rose wouldn’t object to coming to an agreement to benefit the town.” She explained as she stood up from their table, placing her tip money next to her glass. 

“Come on, now that I know the target I can pick you out something I know the singer will really enjoy!”

* * *

  
  
  


“Ok, but how does this look, Lee? Is it too flashy? I want people to look at me, but not look like I’m asking for it, y’know?” Raihan was posing in front of the shop mirror. Leon had stayed the night with him along with Nessa as the dragon tamer had dragged both along to help him come up with the perfect outfit for the gala. “We’ve got like... three weeks, I’m sure if we don’t find it today, you’ll find somethin’, Rai.” Leon replied, half ignoring the man as he looked over the selection of snapbacks. Nessa rolled her eyes. “Please for the love of god don’t tell me you are seriously thinking about trying to find a fancy snapback, Leon. You’ve got an actual model standing in this store with you, I’d be happy to help you come up with something that included a hat.” She said with a smile, but Leon only chuckled and shook his head. “No can do, Nessa. Raihan made a bet with me that if I can actually find one-”

“-And not look like a fashion disaster!” Raihan chimed in, taking a break from checking himself out in the mirror.

“-And not look like a fashion disaster, he’ll slow dance to one song Opal and post it.” Leon concluded, picking up one particularly gaudy hat. Nessa forced herself not to visibly cringe but she felt a piece of her soul die inside watching the man try on different, equally awful hats. As if on cue, her phone rang and she sighed in relief at who was calling. “That’s assuming she doesn’t beat you senseless with her parasol first haha! Well boys, I gotta take this, don’t let Raihan dunk on ya too hard Lee, I’d say I believe in you but uh, y’know what, nah I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Nessa teased playfully, secretly praising her escape as she answered her phone. Leon and Raihan both watched as she seemed just a bit too cheerful in her conversation. 

“Who ya think called her? Who even calls anymore, we all just text each other.” Raihan commented as he walked over to Leon, holding a dress shirt in his hands and Leon shrugged. “Just because you are the e-boy of our crew, doesn’t mean we all prefer texting over calling. Maybe whoever it is has something that’s easier and quicker spoken versus sending an assault of texts.” He replied, trying on one of the hats he was contemplating.

“How do I look? Think it could work?” 

Raihan genuinely mulled over Leon’s choice in white cap with crown like design. If he was being honest, it reminded him of his regular black cap with gold accent design. “Lee, my boy, I think you actually might pull this off.” He said with a grin as he nodded in approval. Leon shot him back a playful grin. “I don’t know why you’re helping me honestly. It’s your embarrassment. I’m betting she hits you with her parasol too, haha.” Raihan acted like he was hurt. “Wow Lee, that really hurts. Here I am, trying to help a bro look his finest for once and then I learn he’s just wanting to see an old lady beat me senseless for his enjoyment. Ouch, just wound my soul why don’t ya?” Leon just rolled his eyes as they both checked out with their items and met up with Nessa outside who had just finished her phone call.

“So who was it?”

Nessa turned around and smiled at her friends. “Milo. I promised him I’d help him pick out an ensemble later. Find anything’ good?”

Leon smiled and nodded. “Yeah, playin’ it safe with the white version of my regular cap. Surely even you can agree it could work.” He mused and Nessa sighed and shrugged. “Just as long as you pick a clever outfit to match. My only bit of advice, since neither of you want my help, is not to make the main color of your clothes match your cap. Pick like red, or blue or somethin’ Lee, you look good in those colors!” She said with a wink and Raihan just rolled his eyes. “Nessa you have no faith in us to dress like respectable and fine as hell figures of Galar, and if I’m being honest it hurts a lil’ bit.” He responded playfully, clutching his chest in fake pain and she snickered. “Can you blame me for that stunt you pulled last time with Gordie? Melony was furious! Leon already has a track record for being a walking fashion disaster and you are no help to him, always encouraging him to make poor decisions so you can lap up the next e-girl you set eyes on like a dog.” Nessa teased back, causing Raihan to dramatically fall to his knees. “You wound me so, Ness’.” Leon pouted. “Am I really that bad?” he asked, to which Raihan and Nessa both responded in unison with a definite, “yes!”

“But, the hat is indeed nice, just please promise me you will follow my advice? I gotta jet, Milo is waitin’.” She begged as Raihan stood up once again and patted Leon on the back. “Just leave it to me, I’ll make sure the champ looks like a reputable member of society!” Raihan called out and Leon waved as the water gym leader walked off. The pair watched her leave before continuing their day of shopping in Hammerlocke. 

A Corvicab flight and small break later and Nessa met up with Milo at his house, Milo’s little brother greeting her at the door. “Oh, it’s Nessi! Big brother, she’s here for you!” The little one called out all too eagerly, much to Milo’s embarrassment who came fumbling out of the kitchen. He rubbed the back of his head after shooing off his sibling, Nessa chuckling at the display. “Ah, sorry for that! I was just finishing washing some vegetables for my mom. Hope I didn’t keep ya waiting too long!” He explained with a nervous laugh.

Nessa smiled and waved it off. “Oh Milo, no need to apologize! Now, was there something you had in mind, or did you want to go look for something?” She asked. Milo mulled over the question for a moment. “Hmm, well, actually I suppose it depends on what colors you were planning on wearing, if I’m being honest.” He said a little shyly. Nessa’s eyes widened and she blushed slightly. “O-oh yeah? You wanna match me? That’s one of the sweetest things someone’s ever wanted to do for me!” She managed to answer with a genuine smile, twirling a piece of her hair and Milo seemed relieved. “Well, you just always dress so pretty for these events...I-I thought it’d be nice if we could go together. I have a feeling we’ll be needing to go shopping. Together.” He admitted, only further serving to catch Nessa off guard. She could feel her heart swell with happiness at the sentiment. She was always doused with compliments but no one ever dared to get close. She intimidated many people with her strong will and the fact that behind the pretty face was an intelligent woman. So hearing Milo’s clever way of asking her out really took her breath away. It was a nice wave of change for her and Nessa nodded. 

“I think that sounds nice, Milo. If you don’t mind a trip to Hulberry, we could check out some of the shops there before they close and get a bite to eat?” 

Milo smiled, not at all worried she’d make fun of him for blushing. “That sounds like a plan!”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Across the board, the other gym leaders were all getting ready. Gordie was determined to find the flashiest outfit he could to really showcase how fashion savvy he was and bring more glory to his rock gym. Melony, on the other hand, was trying to find a babysitter for the rest of her children. She figured if she got a jump on it early, she’d luck out and get the best of the best for her darlings. Kabu was perfectly fine with a suit he had in his closet, not wanting to spend too much time with frivolous affairs. Afterall, his Centiskorch demanded daily training and who was Kabu to keep his right hand man restless? The fire leader spent the time leading up to the event training as dutifully as ever. Allister and Bea weren’t very keen on attending the gala, but enjoyed each other’s company and were banking on one another to make it through the night. Allister was set on keeping his mask handy and Bea relented. The two agreed on matching black pantsuits that had their gym logo on an enamel pin. Classy and easy enough to just throw on and be comfortable in an uncomfortable setting. Bea said she would most likely be bringing her Nintendo Switch and Allister said he’d bring his so they could play Mario Kart and Animal Crossing together. Opal, like Kabu, avoided the stores. Given, Opal had a plethora of evening gowns to choose from that she amassed over her glory days. She still fits in most of them and picked out one of her favorites that she hasn’t worn in quite some time. Of course it had the right amount of pink and would go perfectly with her purple shawl. Her apprentice, Bede, would no doubt match her in a pastel pink ensemble. They didn’t let on whether they were miffed at the decision or not, afterall Opal did know how to dress with prestige. Anyone would be grateful for her insight. Even Hop and Sonia were ready, the apprentice and new professor getting their outfits ready with a week to spare. Sonia’s Yamper even got to pick out his own bowtie- he really liked to feel a part of the festivities and would no doubt be showing up to the party no matter how hard Sonia tried to keep him in his ball. 

That just left Marnie and Piers, the denizens of Spikemuth. Marnie, who had been in the process of taking over Spikemuth’s gym, didn’t exactly know what she should be wearing to this event considering her big brother never went to this event. 

“Marnie, it's a place for stuffy hoity toity types to go and drink themselves silly on expensive wine and be pawns in a corporate scheme. Not a place for genuine folks to be.” were just some of the words she recalled him saying years ago when she asked him why he didn’t attend. Which, even if it were true, she also knew just how much her brother despised leaving Spikemuth. Especially if it were for just some showy type of event for Chairman Rose to parade the leaders around like trophies. 

“But big bro, the way Nessa makes it sound is like it’s just some big party to celebrate the hard work you all do each challenge season. Even you have to take a break from time to time.” She had said to him that morning only to be met with an unenthused grunt when his phone rang. 

“Speak of the bloody devil, its Rose himself. You summoned him with your witchin’ powers didn’t you?” Piers had joked, causing Marnie to snicker as he got off the couch and answered the phone.

“Piers speaking.”

“Excellent! You answered! I was just calling to mark down you RSVP for the gala. You will be attending won’t you?”

Piers never cared for how formal Rose sounded on the phone. If he was being honest, no, he already had little desire into attending a fancy party and would much rather be holed up in his room playing his guitar or writing down lyrics. Been working through feelings that way lately and it seemed to be working. The gala would just throw a wrench into his pre-determined plans. However, he sighed, remembering he had already promised Nessa he would attend this year. That thought subsequently brought up the emotional turmoil that was Chrysolite and he covered his face with one hand, forgetting apparently how stupid he could possibly be. Rose clearing his throat over the phone brought Piers back to reality. Before PIers could answer him however, the chairman continued speaking.

“If you are still uncertain, I have an...agreement that you may find beneficial for your city.” Piers took note of how the chairman’s tone of voice changed.

“Go on.” 

“Well… My wife brought up a good point the other day. You hardly ever show your face around any formal events involving the gym leaders, which is..regrettable to say the least. However, I’m willing to start a revitalization project for Spikemuth, working hand in hand with you to bring Spikemuth back to its glory days should you agree to start coming out to these events. I understand it is your wish for Marnie to take over gym responsibilities, so really you yourself would only have to venture out for three more events after this one. You would just have to ensure that your sister continue this trend once she has full reigns.” Rose explained briefly. The singer was dumbfounded at what he was hearing and took a moment to process what was happening.

“Ah...Um well… ‘spose I can’t argue against a deal like that. Mind if I ask where this all is coming from or why your wife of all people decided to take note of my absences?” Piers responded somewhat awkwardly, but his curiosity was piqued. 

“Uh, well, she didn’t say much other than she’d really appreciate it if you started showing up to these events. I mean, she is tied into all the publicity as well. Maybe she feels we could all benefit from this little agreement here. I, of course, would love to have your presence there, you might end up enjoying yourself, Piers! You don’t have to perform, of course, that is why I hired someone- it’s meant for all of my leaders to enjoy themselves. We know how hard you work, Piers. I just can’t seem to fathom why you are so against standing with your other leaders.”

The way Rose worded things bothered Piers, and though he didn’t know much of Rose’s wife, he did know that Rose had two daughters with the woman and the girls never seemed to be upset when in the spotlight or in pictures with their parents. He imagined it’d be pretty tough for the young ones to mask any discomfort they had. It was just...odd for Rose of all people to be the one to try and do something nice for Spikemuth after constantly asking Piers to consider moving the gym location to a power spot. He decided not to try and dig any further, though saying he was a tad wary of the entire situation was an understatement.

“Well, that decides it then huh? Can’t very well pass up a chance to help bring this city back to its former lively days. I’ll make sure Marnie and I are both present. Just um...please keep your end of the deal sir, this isn’t somethin’ I take to lightly, y’know?”

“Of course, you have my word, Piers. I’ll see you then! Oh, wait, there is one more thing. This year I’ve decided to give each of my leaders a gift and include their favorite flowers. What would yours be?”

Piers raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off as something the chairman would actually do. “I’d have to go with Alstroemerias, if you want specific colors, I’d go with reds, oranges, and pinks. Now if you excuse chairman, I have some planning I need to attend to.” Piers concluded, Rose agreeing and thanking him once more for his time.

Marnie raised an eyebrow at her brother once he returned to their living room. Piers looked like he was on a mission now instead of trying to find excuses to stay in tonight. “What was that all about?”

“Get your backpack kiddo, we’re goin’ shopping. Do me a favor and message Nessa, see if she’ll meet us in Hammerlocke.” He replied simply, grabbing his keys, pokeballs, and wallet. Marnie shrugged, but gathered her belonging nonetheless. “Promise you’ll tell me on the way?”

“Sure thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had lots of fun focusing on different characters!! Only two more left and I do have some art planned to add at the end of the next two as well!  
> you can keep up with whatever I'm doing on my twitter at: https://twitter.com/merluvli  
> It's always a mix of art, cosplay, and random musings!


	4. A Flower's Blooming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the gala nears closer and closer, everyone is getting ready and sparks are practically flying from excitement. Nessa helps Piers and Marnie go shopping and they end their day with a nice meal including Milo. Piers and Marnie get much more bonding time and Marnie asks those hard hitting questions.  
> Meanwhile, Chrysolite's life gets turned on its head and everything sees to be a whirlwind of good things for once, Cressida and Rose proving to be incredible allies to her during this time.

The stroll to Hammerlocke was pleasant enough for the siblings and by the time they entered the city, Piers had caught Marnie up to speed on the odd conversation from Rose.

“Hmm...think he’s pullin’ ya leg?” Marnie asked, mulling over the information her brother had given her. Piers just shrugged and brushed back loose strands of hair.

“Dunno, the only thing that really bothers me is how he made it a point to indirectly admit his wife is the one requesting my presence. Then he asked me what my favorite flowers were, it was weird, Marn. Even for Rose.” He said, scratching the side of his head with a perplexed frown.

Marnie shrugged. “‘m not sure bro, I doubt she’s got the hots for ya or som’n’. Maybe she’s trying to do someone a favor? That couple is pretty secretive outside o’ the spotlight.” She said, kickin’ a pebble.

Piers sighed “Yeah, ‘spose so. If nothin’ else, we’ll hopefully get som’n’ good goin’ for Spikemuth.”

They were just walking past the station when Nessa greeted them loudly, walking in the direction from the Pokemon Center. “Hey you two! Sorry I’m late!” She said cheerfully. She was dressed in a summery romper with floral print on it. Piers gave her a smile as did Marnie and they closed the gap between their friend. “‘s all good, just rolled into town ourselves.” Piers said calmly and Marnie nodded.

“So how was yer ‘date’ with Milo?” Marnie asked with a knowing grin. Nessa blushed lightly and looked to the side, knowing full well Piers was giving her an intrigued look.

“...Just straight to the point eh? Not even over a cuppa or anythin’” She muttered with a huff before walking into between the two. Piers nudged her with a grin and Marnie snickered. “Milo huh? Didn’t expect him to actually have the courage to ask you out after all this time.” The elder sibling mused with a chuckle to which Nessa nudged him back with her elbow and stuck her tongue out. “How long did you know?”

“Eh, Marnie suspected it when Milo posted that snapshot of you two in one of Hulbury’s boutiques 2 weeks ago. I had just figured you were helping him find som’n’ to wear.” He replied, sticking his hands into his pockets as the trio walked down the shopping district of Hammerlocke. Marnie giggled. “He didn’t wanna believe me, but now ya owe me a thousand Pokédollars big bro!” She said triumphantly.

“You two took bets?!” Nessa cried out in disbelief to which they both nodded in amusement, Piers handing the wad of cash over to his sister. “Rude.” The water gym leader pouted as they stopped in front of her favorite formal shops. She quickly regained her composure however.

“Let’s just get to the task at hand, outfitting you two!” She said, hoping to take the subject off of herself. “Marnie, I trust your judgement more than your brother’s so why don’t you look through some ensembles and I’ll come find you in about fifteen minutes, sound good?” Nessa continued, already assuming her fashionista mannerisms and tone.

“What is  _ that _ supposed to mean?!” Piers said in mock bewilderment, but Nessa paid him no mind as Marnie walked away happily into the trendy store. Once sure the girl was out of earshot she looked up at Piers. “Does she know?” Her voice suddenly hushed and serious. For a moment Piers had no idea what she was talking about and then it dawned on him. “Huh…? Oh! Oh um, no I haven’t exactly spilled the tea on anythin’ about...this thing to Marnie.” He replied awkwardly fiddling with his choker. “...She might actually remember seein’ Chris around though if I mention it- thinkin’ back I think once or twice Marnie saw us or asked who I was hung up on.” Piers added after thinking further on it. Nessa folded her arms across her chest and swayed slightly, as if thinking of what to say.

“Hm...welll, if I’m bein’ honest, StringBean, you’re gonna catch everyone off guard no matter what. I mean, this  _ is  _ the first time you’re even gonna attend. Marnie’s a smart girl, I’m sure she’ll instantly pick up on your mood change the moment you see Chrysolite up on stage singing~” Nessa concluded. Piers heart skipped a beat at her words and he visibly gripped his choker pendant tighter. Nessa noticed and gave him a warm smile, patting him on the shoulder.

“Keep it together, Piers. Today we’re just focusing on decking you and your lil sis out! Remember this will be her first gala too! When was the last time she got to go shopping like this?” She replied cheerfully, doing her best to change subjects to something lighthearted the singer could get behind. 

“Ah...um, well I never really take her formal wear shoppin’. They’re not my style, well Rose’s aren’t my style. Marnie tends to go shopping with her gym challenge buddies from time to time. Don’ wanna be overbearin’ or none o’ that an’ all.” Piers replied, a little ashamed at how he neglected that part of his sister’s lifestyle. Nessa rolled her eyes and linked her arm with his. 

“Then come on! There’s much to learn!”

* * *

  
  


Piers found himself wandering through the vast selection of clothes they had in this boutique, not in the slightest interested in what he was seeing. A bit frustrated he groaned, his shoulders slumping down further than usual until he heard a commotion from across the store.

_ Marnie? _

Upon further inspection, he was able to make out Nessa’s signature hairstyle from behind. She was excitedly hopping up and down next to who presumed to be Marnie, if the black leather wasn’t a dead giveaway. “Look! You can even wear your jacket and boots and you’ll still look amazing! ” 

“What’s all the fuss ab-” He trailed off as Nessa, still in awe swiveled Marnie around. Piers’ eyes widened when he saw her, taking the look in. “See for yourself! Isn’t she lovely? Didn’t she do good picking out the perfect dress for herself?!” She exclaimed, holding onto Marnie’s shoulders. She was silent, but could not hide the genuine smile on her face, her eyes practically twinkling up at her older brother. His silence didn’t even bother her as he took his sweet time trying to formulate what to say about the pink blush colored hi-low dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, tied back with sheer straps and just the right amount of sparkle for Marnie’s tastes. Even Piers couldn’t find anything wrong with the way it looked on her and he simply shut his eyes, folded his arms across his chest, and nodded in approval. 

“My stunning lil’ sis. Ya aimin’ to sway some heads ‘round these parts?” He said after a moment and gave her a wink, making her blush in embarrassment. As if he broke the spell with his doting, Marnie finally spoke up, unable to prevent herself from swaying in what was no doubt going to be her purchase of the day.

“Think so, big bro? I’ve never ‘ad a dress like this before. ..Makes me feel nice ‘s all.” She mumbled, looking down at her feet. Piers chuckled and ruffled her hair up. “Well, ‘s not like an oaf like myself woulda thought to bring ya out here. If I had, woulda brought you out years ago. Figured ya liked havin’ your own thing.” He admitted, causing her to laugh and pick her head back up, feeling reassured by her brother’s vote of confidence. Nessa sighed happily at the sibling bonding she was privileged to see and before the two could roll their eyes at her emotional state, she ushered Marnie over to the register, opting to pay for the garment herself without hearing a single word of objection from Piers. 

  
  


* * *

“Alright Piers, your turn!” Nessa exclaimed and Marnie nodded enthusiastically as they ventured deeper into Hammerlocke. Piers’ search was unsuccessful in the first shop, but this didn’t seem to put a damper on the trio’s mood whatsoever. Seeing Marnie’s simple transformation from girl into her rightful spot as a teen and forcing Piers to see it brought Nessa and Marnie joy alike. It’s not that he was always overbearing, it’s just he didn’t exactly know what to do as Marnie got into her teens, other than give her the space he knew she was gonna need. Thankfully, the league had a good set of gym leaders and if it weren’t for people like Nessa, Leon, and even Raihan keeping tabs on him and sometimes sticking their noses where they didn’t belong, Piers most likely would have had a complete meltdown way before Marnie would have ever been able to manage herself.

Marnie got a mischievous grin when they stopped in front of Nessa’s next shop, noticing the dramatically different storefront than the rest of Hammerlocke’s shops. For starters, the brick around the doors to this one were a solid 2 feet of black framing the entrance. The doors consisted of fake steeple gates and they simply seemed reminiscent of a cathedral’s in height. Quite simply, the sheer atmosphere these doors brought were preying on Piers’ own aesthetic preferences. Marnie knew this very well and could not wait for the chance to watch her brother try on a plethora of clothing, as if he was choosing his next stage outfit. 

“Ah here we are~ ‘De Sacra Turri Caelum’ or ‘Steeple of the Heavens’ in plain english.” She said eloquently. Place just opened up a few weeks ago and I happened to be lucky enough to be one of their poster children for the campaign. Come on in, there are several pieces I already want to see you in!” She said, practically dragging Piers by the wrist, Marnie eagerly pushing him from behind too. “Come on, big bro!” Inside revealed an array and good blend of gothic, rock, punk rock, and elegant edwardian age clothing. Piers took it in as best he could as his entourage was still pushing him through the store. “Oi! You two hop off now, m’ legs work great, thanks..” He muttered, forcibly standing his ground. The sudden halt made Marnie crash into him and Nessa whipped around. 

“No fair, Piers!”

“Owwww you dummy! Nessa has a plan for you already!”

He adjusted his shirt and paid the girls no mind as he let himself wander among the clothing. Nessa pouted and Marnie sighed. “Well… looks like it's our turn to bug off huh?” Marnie said with a chuckle and Nessa nodded. 

“Your brother doesn’t have as bad a taste as you think. Let's just go look around for things we’d like to see him try on anyway!”

“I never said he didn’t! That was you!”

* * *

It only took him about fifteen minutes to pick out three complete ensembles, five minutes to narrow it down to two, and another thirty to pick his favorite, but he couldn’t help feeling something was missing. Piers checked himself out in the floor length mirror within the dressing room and sighed. He exited the room to be met with a handful of outwear from Nessa and different vests and pants from Marnie. The girls were just going to drown him in their pile of potential winning items, but paused to take in the look he had put together himself. 

“Ooh! That’s not half bad!” Nessa said with a whistle.

“I dig the waist corset, not gonna lie.” Marnie said, admiring the look her brother was trying to pull off.

Piers chuckled, happy with their comments. “No need for all o’ that. ‘Sides, ‘m not sure, but somethin’ is missin’ from this outfit. And if i’m bein’ honest, not sure if I’ll keep the corset or not.” He replied, shifting uneasily in his outfit. “The billowy shirt is staying for sure.” 

Nessa hummed in thought, slowly looking over him in detail, lifting one of his arms slightly as she examined the shirt with the corset. She let him go without warning and moved her gaze to trail down the slender fitting black pants he was wearing that he paired with white and black Creepers. She gave him his personal space back and looked up in thought. Marnie acted as if she was thinking about it too and gave Nessa a glance when the water type gym leader came to her jurisdiction. 

“Hmmm, yeah I can see why you wanna ditch the corset too. You need to ditch the shoes too.”

Piers frowned at her words. “Wait, why? Kinda fond of how these look actually.”

Marnie shook her head. “They don’t go with the ‘fit, big bro. I picked these out for ya earlier, didn’t think they’d match the shirt so well, why not try em on?” She said thoughtfully as she bent down to fetch a box of boots she had come across in a different part of the store. 

“Ohh! Good idea, Marnie! While we’re at it, why not try this vest too? I know you are fond of magenta more than a red violet, but since your shirt is more of a dark blue, this might match well with it.” Nessa added her own thoughtfulness and handed him the article of clothing. Piers stacked it on the box Marnie handed him. He looked a bit skeptical at first, but did as he was told and re-entered his dressing room. A few moments later he walked out and was met with a smug Marnie and a pleased Nessa. Piers didn’t want to admit it, but the girls had been right in their suggestions and together they nailed the look he was trying to go for.

“...Ok maybe you both had good ideas.” He mumbled after a moment to which Nessa smiled. 

“Didn’t mean to rush ya through the store, I’ve just been eyein’ this vest for ya since they opened.” She replied.

“Well...how does it feel, big bro? Do ya like what yer wearin’?” Marnie spoke up, her hands on her hips. Piers flashed her a grin.

“Nah, I bloody hate it.” He lied before they both erupted into laughter. 

“I’d say you’d be the one turnin’ heads but seein’ as how this is your first time showin’ yer face, you were gonna turn heads anyways. Knowin’ Chairman Rose, there’s bound to be photogs around. Say….this is like the first formal event we’re both showin’ up at, ain’t it Piers?” Marnie said after they stopped and Piers blinked for a moment, Nessa had already gone ahead to pay for Piers’ ensemble.

“..Well…’spose so yeah. ...Guess we’ll gotta show em what their missin’ in Spikemuth huh, Marnie? Give em a right proper Spikemuth greetin’!” 

“Alright Spikemuth’s pride and joy, wanna grab a bite to eat after Piers changes back into his streetwear? Milo will be in the area making a berry delivery, figured we could all chat and have somethin’ scrummy together!” Nessa said happily, and the siblings looked at each other then shrugged. 

“Could go for a bite, ya.”

“‘Aven’t seen that lad in a bit, don’t see why not. I mean, you already got both of us to venture out for the day, would make for a nice endin’ with friends.”

Then it was settled. Milo met up with the trio at one of Piers and Nessa’s long time go to diners and Marnie got to have some much needed girl talk with Nessa while Piers and Milo caught up. Piers couldn’t help but smile at the subtle mannerisms and small notes of affection the grass and water gym leader shared- the way they loosely laced their fingers together amidst conversation, the way Milo looked at Nessa with warm eyes full of admiration when she wasn’t paying attention and deep into a conversation, the way Nessa giggled at his compliments and her genuine smile when Piers or Marnie asked questions about how things were going between them. It hadn’t been too long of course, but it was obvious both seemed to feel the same about the other. He was glad his friends were finally able to try things out. 

“Well, what about you Marnie? Has anyone caught your fancy yet? Maybe one of the gym challengers you ran the circuit with?” Milo asked wholeheartedly with that big smile of his. 

“Well...maybe one of em. But that's as much as I’m tellin’!” She replied hesitantly, a mild blush dusting her cheeks. Her brother and his friends’ eyes widened for a moment. The silence began to irritate the younger sibling and she hid her face behind her hands. “W-well, how about you, big bro? Wasn’t there some chick you were hung up on years ago? O-or do ya got a new mate to ogle at?” She managed to stammer out. Piers, completely off guard, nearly choked on his tea and spent the next minute trying to clear his throat. Marnie was grateful the attention was off of her and once again revealed her face, curious at why her brother reacted the way he did. Nessa was giving Piers a small smirk and Milo was genuinely concerned for the dark type gym leader’s safety.

“I’m  _ fine _ , mate! Wasn’t bloody expectin’ to be under judgement so soon.” He insisted once he regained his composure. He tugged at his choker pendant absentmindedly, tipping off Marnie instantly. Nessa thought of intervening, but Marnie acted before she could think of what to say.

“Pft, musta struck a nerve right quick with my question, which means...you’re hidin’ sum’n’ from me, bro. Spill it!” Marnie teased, poking his cheek. Piers frowned and swatted her hand away.

“Alright alright sheesh! Was gonna tell ya when we went home, but you're as pushy as a Mudsdale!” He replied, holding her back with a hand on her face. Satisfied that he gave up so easily, Marnie quit her antics. 

“Oh? A story from Piers?” Milo added in with lighthearted laughter, only serving to make Piers blush slightly in embarrassment.

“Oi you lot are a right sore in the side sometimes…” Piers sighed and scratched the side of his head, already feeling nervous as to how Marnie would take his secret. “Anyways, yes lil sis, you are right. I  _ was  _ hung up on a girl back in my teen years, er..I mean we were actually a thing, but uh, life happens ya know? If I recall it was amidst your peak crybaby phase too, didn’t think you would actually remember her honestly. Tried real hard to keep her a secret from ya.” He began with a snicker, causing Marnie to pout.

“Why ya gotta bring that up?”

“Cause it’s my job to embarrass ya. Eh...long story short, I’m still hung up on her but lady luck apparently smiled down on me and decided I get to at least see her again.” He said, once again completely downplaying his feelings. Nessa glared at him slightly for faking his real feelings before feigning a sweet smile.

“Is that so? Do tell us who she is, Piers! I’m sure Marnie would like to know this secret girl’s name!” She replied causing Piers to narrow his eyes at her. 

“‘Spose yer right,  _ mate _ .” He said with a bit more bite than he planned to. “Well, you all will see her soon enough anyway. Name’s Chrysolite. Plays in a lil band called Chrissi and the Gems. And before any o’ you decide you need more info, why not look her up yourselves? I’m done talkin’ ‘bout this for right now.” Piers concluded, trying very hard not to dive into these feelings again in the open and Milo looked at him in shock.

“Whoa! Thats so cool! I hope you get a shot at talking with her, Piers! Must be something real special to get your attention and praise as a fellow musician!” Milo exclaimed, stars practically in his eyes. Marnie stayed quiet, eyeing her brother carefully as he waved off the praise and cooly sipped more of his bubble tea. Nessa decided not to push him any further, knowing she right pissed him off. But she knew he wouldn’t hold it against her. Well, he still had to hash it out further with Marnie, so the sting may linger longer than expected. With only a week to go, Piers had to be getting nervous over his commitment. Anxious is a better word. Before Nessa could think any more on the matter, Milo squeezed her hand and put his hat on with his free one, bringing her back into the conversation.

“Ah this was fun getting to hang out! Always good seein’ ya Piers, Marnie too!”

The siblings smiled and nodded. “Likewise mate, see you both in a week!” Marnie replied as she stood from her chair. Piers grabbed his cup and stood as well. “Been too long really with the season bein’ over. Thanks for the clothes Nessa, here’s hopin’ we can act right for Rose’s game.” He said with a smirk and Nessa rolled her eyes. “Well even if you don’t, at least you’ll both look good while bein’ devious. Let me know if ya need anythin’!”

* * *

  
  


Back at the siblings’ home, Marnie parked herself on the sofa, her Morpeko greeting her, and Piers tried to retreat to his room but she made him stop.

“How come ya never told me ‘bout this girl, Piers?” The question came softly, Marnie not even looking behind the sofa to look at her older brother. Piers could not help the groan that left his mouth to the ceiling and he slumped over the backside of the sofa, meeting her gaze.

“Marnie I’m beggin’ ya, all I wanna do is play my guitar for a bit. Been a long while since I’ve been that social. ‘Sides, you didn’t even tell me you’ve gone soft for someone from your gym challenge.” He shot back tiredly. Piers was drained, too socially drained for a long drawn out conversation repeating himself over again. She gave him a small smile.

“‘S ‘cause I just realized I had a crush a few days ago. Ya wanna know that badly I’ll tell ya, but you gotta promise you’ll come out here and play for me, big bro.” Marnie reasoned, petting her pokemon partner. Piers gave her a pout but soon sighed and slowly lifted himself off the sofa, ruffling his sister’s hair again. 

“Fair enough.” He said before disappearing upstairs for a few minutes. When he returned, he had his acoustic guitar with him, a notebook and his hair was tied messily into a lopsided bun. How it managed to stay up was beyond Marnie’s knowledge. Piers made himself comfortable on a pillow on the floor, his back resting against the sofa behind him. 

“‘Alright, what's their name?” He asked, tuning his instrument. 

“It’s Gloria. Our new champ.” She stated simply. He paused, then shrugged. “They’re pretty cool. Rad lil sis’.” Piers answered, strumming a few chords then flipping to a page in his notebook. Marnie let him play out a melody for a while before asking another question.

“When was the last time you got to see her?”

The music stopped.

“Been about six years now.” Piers replied softly before resuming his tune. Marnie hummed in thought. They both enjoyed when they had their talking sessions like this. Made things less awkward and unless it turned really serious, Piers could easily keep playing instrumentals and jotting down lyrics he thought of while Marnie and him each took turns sharing their thoughts.

“Is there a reason why it’s been so long?” 

Once again Piers stopped playing, but this time he let out a sigh, wishing he still smoked to deal with problems.

“Ah, lets see kiddo.... Best way to sum that up is, well, we’re from two different worlds. A step above that, her mum is a nasty one. Had to lie low in order to protect her…

Marnie looked over to her brother and tilted her head.  “Whats tha’ ‘sposed to mean?”

“You didn’t let me play yet.” 

“Come on big bro, you’re speakin’ in this confusin’ way. Just explain a lil better ‘s all.” Marnie said with a pout, causing Piers to chuckle slightly at her expression. 

“Ok, maybe I coulda phrased that better. Chris comes from a highly esteemed family. Her mum and pops are both incredibly well known musicians and singers- her mom renowned in opera, her pa a world class cellist. Chris didn’t exactly get to choose what she wanted to do and was pushed early on to go down her mother’s path. One thing led to another, she found me and my shows, we started datin’, she started skippin’ lessons, I started sneakin’ her around Spikemuth, yada yada. Long story, she was caught, her mum did some horrible things to her...and as a result I kept my promise not to go lookin’ for her in order to prevent more damage.” Piers replied in a rather bored tone. Judging by the way his grip tightened around the neck of his guitar however, Marnie knew just talking about it affected her brother heavily still.

“Bro...thats pretty shite, I’m sorry.” She said softly and he gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Ya see why I tried to keep her secret? I’m a damn mess Marnie. Been out of sorts more n’ usual since then. Doesn’t feel good feelin’ like this.”

“That' cause you never like to let yourself fall into your emotions and work em out.” Marnie snorted, trying to lighten the situation. The words stung more than intended.

“...It’s not like I don’t want to. What do you think I’ve been writing in this journal ‘ere? Moreover, you should know more than anyone else I don’t touch this guitar unless its for som’n’ significant. ‘S not like I play acoustic at my shows.” Piers replied with a pout, gesturing to his notebook. His sister shrugged. “You know I try not to overanalyze you, don’ wanna be a damned pest all tha’ time.” Piers went back to playing, seeming to accept her response. Marnie watched his expression soften again as he shut his eyes and let the music take him, letting him sing through most of it before stopping him again.

“This song for her?”

“Its actually  _ our _ song- only duet I’ve ever written. Sometimes I wonder if she’s out there singing it still.”

  
  


“Last question and I’ll leave ya be.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you love her?”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Back in Wyndon, things were certainly heating up in the Rose household. Cressida had worked her magic, Piers was going to the gala and Chrysolite was free from the vice grip that was her mother. At least for now. Chairman Rose, after an explanation from Cressida and Chrysolite herself had her mother detained with some of his spies. As a result, Chrysolite was able to stay in their mansion and Cressida got to continue making over and emotionally helping Chrysolite through this entire situation. Cressida, already used to her mom role with her two daughters, unconsciously was caring for Chrysolite as one of her own, letting the singer vent and helping her understand she does have a voice and she can and  _ should _ use it. Three weeks is not long enough to undo years of damage, but the Rose household’s kindness and environment was helping Chrysolite unravel a good chunk of trauma the abuse caused. Chairman Rose had even hired a temporary in-house therapist for Chrysolite to help ease her anxiety about this performance. Once she had opened up to Cressida about both her mother and her hidden love for Piers, Cressida took it upon herself to make sure the girl had one hell of a time during this performance. It took the better part of two weeks to get Chrysolite to consider going out of her conditioned comfort zone for clothing but once she did, it opened up an entirely new realm of possibilities. That and the fact that Chrysolite actually got to have a say in what she liked or disliked and having someone by her side who supported her decisions truly lifted a weight off of her shoulders. Cressida’s girls were both so well behaved that they ended up joining the two on the outings be it for decorations for the gala or for helping Chrysolite find the perfect outfit. Then, the day finally came. They decided to try out Wedgehurst, against Cressida’s better judgement, but Chrissi was adamant for some reason they try and venture out of the upper league parts of the region. So there they were, braving the rain in Wedgehurst, a quaint town with a friendly atmosphere that was sure to infect anyone who came by. For someone like Chrissi however, it was perfect. The highly esteemed wife of the Chairman of the region would never have guessed that this of all places would be the one where she would finally see her friend blossom into the woman she was always meant to be.

“Oh! Um, Cressida...What do you think of this one?” Chrissi asked a tad shyly as usual. Cressida, who was musing through her phone looked up and her eyes widened. There before her stood a completely transformed Chrysolite, dressed elegantly in a dress that heavily resembled petals on a Alstroemeria flower, pinks and reds mixing beautifully in the fabric. Cressida stood and smiled, taking one of Chrissi’s hands and twirling her around slowly. 

“Come on, let me see the whole thing!” She said happily, her eyes taking note of the pearl strands, the leaf motif, the petals, her tights, the heels. Everything honestly. Especially how Chrysolite seemed to glow with her own happiness.

“Hun, this is definitely the one. Not that we should be treating this like we’re wedding shopping or anything.” Cressida said with a chuckle, admiring the way her friend couldn’t stop smiling at her reflection in the mirror. Chrissi laughed too before speaking. 

“You know... his favorite flowers are Parrot Lilies right? He likes to be formal and refer to them by their scientific name, but...These are his favorite shades for them.” Chrissi stated softly, swaying back and forth to watch the petals sway with her motion. Cressida sighed happily and texted her husband saying they were successful, and also to stop fretting about Piers’ flowers. They clearly had it covered. Her daughters began fawning over how pretty Chrissi looked in the entire outfit and Chrissi laughed happily- a laugh Cressida hadn’t heard in years. 

“I’ll get you checked out, Rose has a cab waiting for us outside already. He’s thrilled you found somethin’ you like, Chrissi.” 

Chrysolite turned around and nodded. It may just be a dress, some heels and jewelry, but it was the first dress that Chrysolite got to choose entirely on her own. No one shoving things in her face, no one fussing over her hair, no one telling her what is right or wrong. The past two weeks had flown by, some major life changes taking place, but all for the better. She was still hesitant and anxious about a lot of things, but at least the one thing that made sense to her could become even more enjoyable knowing she was actually in a household that adored her. Honestly, it was as if Cressida basically adopted an older daughter and Rose, who cared the world about his wife, allowed it, treating Chrysolite as one of his own. It was weird to adjust to, but with the addition of a therapist and a safe space for Chrysolite to reside in, she found the semblance of her own voice again. And as Cressida told her, she can and  _ will _ be using it.

* * *

The ride back to Wyndon seemed to go by much faster than usual, considering they were travelling clear across the region. Chairman Rose had taken the afternoon off to spend time with his daughters and Cressida was thrilled about it. He greeted them warmly at the door and was met with squeals of delight from his two daughters. Chrysolite smiled and excitedly entered, pulling on Cressida to follow her up to the guest room Rose gave her.

“Hey what's with all the hustle all of a sudden?” She questioned but Chrissi didn’t answer her till they were locked in her room. Cressida tilted her head and frowned slightly. “Come on Chrissi, what’s up?” Her friend only grinned. 

“Just wait a minute ok!” Chrissi said, excitement in her eyes as she ran off to the walk in closet to retrieve something. When she returned, she was holding a pastel pink acoustic guitar. Cressida raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She noted the determination in Chrissi’s eyes and took a seat on the edge of her bed.

“There’s only one thing left to do. I have one more secret to share with you Cressida, would you sit and listen to our song?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting to the end here! But don't worry, I do have some artwork and a bonus chapter or two planned after everything is said and done! Thank you for sticking with me through this fic's journey and I hope you enjoy the final chapter after this one!  
> I also apologize for any errors in here, I was trying very hard to get this out in time for Valentine's Day!


	5. Entwined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big night is finally here! Will our protags get their second chance at love or will the night end in disaster?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the instrumental track i made for World's Edge, it's not the acoustic version though. Still, I hope you enjoy it ^^  
> https://clyp.it/ai12fudp
> 
> For all other musings and keeping up with my art and shenanigans, you may follow me on twitter:  
> https://twitter.com/merluvli

“No no, gentleman, Rose specifically said not to set out the larger arrangements until closer to guests arriving. You know how he is about his floral displays. Everything must be perfect!”

Cressida’s heel clicked with each step she took across the marbled floors of Rose Tower’s Ballroom. Even with the gala taking place in the evening, both Cressida and Oleana were working with deliveries, setup crews, the entertainment and going over itinerary for the evening. 

“Are you sure he’ll be fine watching the girls while you help me with this, Cressida?” Oleana asked as she ticked a box on her schedule. Cressida laughed as they walked over to the bar. “It’s not often you give him a whole day to spend with family.” She paused and gave a sly smile to Oleana who seemed unaffected before continuing. “The girls absolutely adore their father, I’m sure they are behaving well for him. How is your checklist coming?” She replied without missing a beat. 

“Well, there’s not much left to do other than wait for Miss Delphinium to show with her band. Afterwards I’ll go through a basic rundown of tonight’s itinerary, what is expected of her, and so on and so forth. The caterers will be arriving shortly as well. Macro Cosmos members will assure things are taken care of here in the meantime.”

Cressida was doing her makeup using her compact mirror but nodded. “Will they, now? You do remember what happened the last time MC screwed up. Oh Rose was so disappointed, Oleana!” Cressida exclaimed dramatically much to Oleana’s chagrin. 

“Yes..I remember distinctly the earful, Cressida.” Oleana responded, clearly still bothered by the lashing she received behind closed doors after a prior year’s large event. “O-on that note, are you absolutely certain these Spikemuth siblings will actually be in attendance?” She asked, her voice wavering slightly from its usual stoic tone, causing Cressida to smile. The emerald haired woman chuckled and stood up straight, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. “Lighten up a little, Oleana. Rose simply made that stubborn rockstar an offer he couldn’t refuse. If he cares a lick about that town and the people in it, it's in his best interest to arrive promptly for this evening. Marnie tagging along is just to help transition the role of gym leader from one sibling to the other.” Cressida started to walk away as she spoke. “Besides, I may have worked my own magic in the process to butter him up a bit~. I’ll check back in later, dear, take care!”

Just like that, the chairman’s wife bid her farewell, leaving Oleana to do what she did best. 

Back at the Rose household, daughters Marigold and Blossom were having a wonderful day spent with their father and new friend, Chrysolite, who was going over her setlist as she heeded concerns the chairman gave her.

“Can we hear that one song from yesterday again?” “Yeah! Um, I think it was called Wildfire!” Blossom and Marigold were eager to hear Chryssi sing for them and the young adult could only smile. “I’m sorry girls, I’m actually in the midst of making sure everything goes perfect for tonight! But It's on my list for tonight, ok?” Chrysolite said as she zipped up her guitar case. By this point, Chrysolite had gotten used to her two new fans following her around with questions and wanting her to play with them too. When she looked down at the girls after picking up her case she was met with two pouting faces. “But that's so long from now!”

She gave them a weak smile and patted Blossom’s head.

“Well, it's only a few hours...I still have to head to the ballroom and do soundcheck and a mini rehearsal with my bandmates. Tonight is actually one of my bigger events girls, I really don’t have time today. But I will see you at the show!” 

Before the girls could protest further, Chairman Rose cleared his throat, causing all three to look over and see him standing in the doorway to the guest room Chrysolite was allowed to stay in. Chrysolite looked relieved to see him and the girls eagerly greeted their father.

“Blossom, Marigold, give our guest some space. She’s much too busy today, why don’t I take you for a ride on Copperajah hmm?” He said, giving them a knowing smile as the younger of the two pointed. “But daddy! Can’t we go to Chryssi’s rehearsal too?” Blossom pleaded using her best puppy dog eyes. Rose chuckled and picked the small girl up into his arms. “But that would ruin the magic, sweetheart. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. Now come on, we can go get ice cream after, I heard they have your seasonal flavor in stock again, Blossom. Come on, your mother said she’d meet us there.” Rose said as he turned away. “Break a leg tonight Miss Delphinium, I’m sure you won’t disappoint.” He said with a soft chuckle “Hey wait for me!” Marigold called out once she realized her father and sister were about to leave. She scrambled to put her sweater back on before scampering out of Chrysolite’s room. Once by herself again she let out a relieved sigh and felt her shoulders drop. The chairman was nice, but it always felt like judgement was cast in his words whenever it concerned business. Chrysolite tried not to pay too much attention to it and instead finished packing her equipment. Her custom mic was the last thing she put away, staring at the jewel encrusted microphone. Her signature for performances once she broke into adulthood.

“Regardless of whatever happens…Leave it at the door.” 

As if to affirm herself, Chryssi nodded and then quickly put her microphone in its case before loading up her belongings in the Corvitaxi outside and heading to Rose Tower.

Upon arrival, she was happily met with her bandmates, collectively called “The Gems”, as well as being met by Oleana and a team of Macro Cosmos members ready to serve. Oleana was pleasant enough to go at a decent pace for Chryssi to follow her agreed upon duties for the evening as well as instructing her grunts to make sure Chryssi was well taken care of.

“No one crosses this line unless she says so. And, as per Chairman Rose himself, if there is any sign of Mrs. Delphinium, you are to stop her and report to us immediately. Now go on, report to your stations.” Oleana directed to the members, who nodded and quickly dispersed to finish preparations. The vice president ticked off another box on her checklist before addressing Chrysolite further.

“Now, should you need anything of the sort, Miss Delphinium, you can ask the two members assigned to you or find Lady Cressida or myself. It is preferred however that you utilize your assistants before jumping the chain of command. The Chairman and his wife of course will want to enjoy the evening as well.” Oleana said in a monotonous tone. Chryssi nodded. “O-of course! I think I should be fine for the evening, the itinerary hasn't changed, all that my mates and I need is time to rehearse now, is there anything else you need to explain to me?” She asked politely and Oleana shook her head before her phone went off. “Ah excuse me, I’ll leave you to your own work then.” She said, expression unchanging as she took the call, leaving Chryssi to start practicing. The singer smiled upon seeing her comrades waiting for their idol. “It’s pretty crazy huh Chryssi? Not many people get to enter Rose Tower.” her keyboardist said once Chryssi was in earshot. “Agreed. So...let's give 'em a night to remember! Just like we’ve rehearsed alright?” She said enthusiastically. At least for the time being her nerves seemed to leave her be. In the midst of good company and letting herself get lost in her own music was a much needed relief. There was little she enjoyed more than being free on stage to express herself entirely, most of her songs weaving tales of love and sweet nothings. An umbrella tone of freedom and liberation ringing true for those who could listen past her heavenly sound to be mesmerized by her poetry. Especially with tonight’s surprise song- if all things went according to plan of course. 

The Macro Cosmos members found it difficult to stay focused on their tasks at hand, captivated by the idol’s voice. Chryssi paid them no mind, dancing gracefully on stage in beat with her songs. A mix of pops and jazz, something to get a crowd on their feet and twirling around along with her. A few slow ballads were the icing on the cake for Chryssi’s setlist and once confident in transitions, the band took a break to grab something to eat before doors opened.

* * *

As the sun set across the Galar region, the gym leaders and invited guests for the Gala were getting dressed to the nines and travelling to Wyndon. Raihan, the beloved dragon tamer, opted for a sports jacket and slacks combo, donning Hammerlocke Stadium’s emblem on an enamel pin- a gift from the chairman when he assumed gym leader status a few years prior. His dreads were tied back in a neater fashion and naturally he didn’t set foot out of his loft until posting a selfie for his fans online.

Over in Motostoke, Kabu was adjusting his tie in the mirror of his bedroom. The Fire type gym leader was looking quite dashing in a gray suit with a flame patterned tie. Sleek, crisp and serious, just like his outward demeanor. Sticking to his schedule, he made sure to catch a Corvitaxi with enough time to arrive in Wyndon when doors opened for the gala.

In Circhester, a certain band of siblings was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Melony’s highly regarded babysitter, playing board games in the living room of their two story home. Melony of course was dolling herself up and just adding the finishing touches to her ensemble- an evening gown in a pale blue, adorned with an overlay of crystal icicles, complete with a matching sheer shawl. A knock on the door and a chorus of children’s excited cries later and Melony chuckled to herself before greeting the peppy woman at the doorstep. “Now my darlings, please be on your best behavior! Isis, there is money to order food on the fridge and your payment is on the counter. Whatever is left over from ordering you may keep!” The ice type leader said happily and the woman nodded, saying her goodbyes along with the trio of kids. 

Over in Ballonlea, Opal was talking up a storm to her apprentice, Bede, about the significance of the event and all they should be expecting. Attire was not an issue for her at all as Opal always made it a point to dress to the nines. Fortunately enough, what she picked out for Bede was equal parts regal and fitting for the fairy trainer’s personality. Bede wasn’t one to question Opal’s ideas as it usually turned out that the elderly lady was still as sharp as ever. Not to be outdone by anyone, when they arrived in Wyndon, Opal had arranged for a limo to take them to Rose Tower. A star is a star no matter how old. 

Back in Stow-On-Side, Bea and Allister had already met up and were making their way over to Hammerlocke for the next monorail to Wyndon. They wore matching black jumpsuits with complementary blazers. Bea wore her Fighting type gym enamel pin, and Allister wore his Ghost type pin. He was adamant to keep his mask however, and Bea sighed but relented. “Hey Allister, you got any cherries on your island? I can give you peaches if you need any.” She said once they got on their train. The quiet gym leader nodded and they both pulled out their switches from their backpacks. Neither of them really cared too much about getting dressed up, but agreed to do right by the chairman and show up for this formal event. 

Gordie had left Circhester earlier, already taking note of Raihan’s selfie posts. He wasn’t to be outdone by Raihan and also wore a sports jacket with dress pants. He had his hair slicked back There he waited in Wyndon for Raihan and Leon to both meet him as agreed. The two would assess Leon’s attire before declaring who was the winner of their bet. “Hear anything from Lee yet?” Raihan asked as he walked up to the stadium. The rock type gym leader shook his head until both heard footsteps behind them. There before them stood the most ravishing outfit they’ve ever seen Leon wear complete with the white and gold snapback Leon was admiring from their shopping trip. He donned a color blocked white and black suit with a red dress shirt underneath complete with titanium cuff links in the shape of a sword and shield. His hair was in an elegant half up, half down style as to fit with his hat. He wore black dress shoes for the finishing touch. Raihan and Gordie wear speechless and Leon just smiled that champion smile of his. “Well then, how did I do?” Raihan’s rotom phone snapped a picture on its own and after a few more moments of staring, Raihan laughed and shook his head. “Well I guess I'll be dancing with Madame Opal, huh? Come on guys, let's go.”

Back in Wedgehurst, Sonia and Hop were just about to board the monorail to Wyndon, Sonia’s Yamper already too excited to stay in his ball. At the station they were met with Victor and Gloria who also were boarding. The four sat together and spoke of their hopes for the evening as well as catching up on what they’ve missed since they last met up. The twins seemed to be looking forward to a fun night and Sonia did her best to fill in each of the youths on what to expect. 

Over in Hulberry, a certain model was allowing her mother to finish her hairdo before giving her a hug. A doting father snapped a picture and Nessa smiled, appreciative of her supporting parents. She wore a gorgeous A-Line navy blue dress with white tulle along the bottom to represent ocean waves. It had a sweetheart neckline with a lace overlay. She matched it with simple drop earrings and a sapphire pendant necklace. Nessa bid her parents goodbye and she headed to the station where she was met with the most romantic of gestures she had seen in her life. There was Milo standing at the station doors holding a corsage box in his hands. He wore a matching navy blue suit with a complementing green tie. His fluffy coral hair was still loose but his curls looked absolutely adorable. He also had cufflinks and had the grass type gym logo on an enamel pin as well. The station was decorated with tea lights and balloons and the two conductors that lived in the Hulberry were present holding a sign that read “For Lady Nessa”. Nessa could feel her heart swell and was thankful the sun had gone down as she was sure a noticeable blush graced her face. Milo couldn’t help the smile that grew as she walked up to him and he placed the corsage on her wrist. It smelled delightful and had a mixture of flowers she recognized from his own garden. “Oh Milo, this is...this is lovely!” She finally said as the conductor twins held open the station doors for the couple. Milo chuckled before holding her hand as they boarded the train, which was decorated intimately with hanging lights and more flowers. “Really? I’m glad you think so, I thought it might have been a bit much...” He said a little shyly as he continued to watch her eyes light up with the scenery he most definitely arranged specifically for tonight. One of the twins led them to their seat while the other spoke on the intercom to sit back and relax while enjoying the lovely scenery that is Galar at night. Milo listened to all of Nessa’s compliments and joy of the grand gesture he treated her to, slowly feeling himself get more lost in the way her eyes lit up at the event, his heart fluttering with her laughter at things he said. Regardless of what happened, he wanted to make tonight special and seeing just how happy he made the model with what he had been planning in secret made it all worthwhile. It was as if the farm boy somehow knew everything would turn out all right in the end. 

That just left the Spikemuth siblings, who were working at completely opposite paces. Marnie was just about to head out to catch up to Gloria and Co. in Hammerlocke like they agreed upon. “Piers I’m not waiting for you! I won’t ‘ave ya embarrassin’ me tonight!” She said with a ‘hmph’ as she finished brushing her hair. A quick once over in the bathroom vanity and she was satisfied. She heard her older brother groan from his bedroom and against her better judgement she poked her head in to see him face down in a pillow. “Oi, what’s tha matter with ya? Didn’t cha promise Rose you’d be there? You’re not even dressed ya big lug!” Marnie was met with a groan and she rolled her eyes before stomping over and whacking him with a pillow. The tall punk barely budged until Marnie shook him. “Piers literally what the hell is wrong? Have you been asleep all day?” After some more groaning he finally lifted his head and saw Marnie standing at his bedside, a look of pure disgust on her face. “Arceus, you look terrible, mate.” She said, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn’t wrong, Piers looked like a complete disaster, hair a tangled mess, still wearing his pajamas, the dark circles around his eyes looked even heavier than normal. He slowly sat up and yawned. If Marnie didn’t know any better she would leave him right there to fend for himself, but something about his demeanor was off and she ultimately pitied him. Piers was many things, but unreliable was not one of them.“...What time is it?” He said in a groggy voice and Marnie shook her head in dismay before sighing and pulling out her phone to shoot a quick text to Gloria letting her know she would catch up with them at Rose Tower.

“Show time. Come on...Let’s get ya cleaned up.”

What proceeded after was nothing more than a display of how strong the bond between these siblings actually is. She was quick to get him a couple of pain pills and some water, visibly making sure he took them before ushering him to the living room to work her magic. Marnie wasn’t a stranger to Piers’ unique hair, but also one of the only ones on this planet that knew how to properly take care of it and, if in a hurry, could tame it relatively quickly. “Do your makeup while I take care of this, your eyes look atrocious. I don’t ‘ave time to do much else besides get this all in a huge braid.” She huffed, standing behind the chair he sat in. 

“Kinda hard to have a steady hand with ya pullin’ like that.” He said, instantly met with a harsh tug. “Ow!”

“It’s not my fault you can’t take care of yourself better, dummy, now hold still!”

About thirty minutes later, Marnie was successful and Piers somehow managed to hide the bags under his eyes decently enough. She went back to her room to grab her own makeup bag and added some final touches to make him look more presentable. When she was done, she nodded to herself in approval and before he could question anything, she walked to their front door.

“Alright, I have to go. Left yer clothes on yer bed. Don’t. Embarrass. Me.,” were her final words and she pointed straight at him. He looked at her, completely unphased by her statement.

“Quit bein’ so huffy. It’s not like they’ll care if i’m late anyway.”

“Piers, come on! I mean it this time.” Marnie pouted and he waved her off. “Fine fine, I promise. Go meet ya girlfriend already.” He answered with a smirk, satisfied with the slight blush that appeared on Marnie’s face.

“Ungrateful sack o' bricks…” She muttered before she shut the door behind her. Once alone Piers felt his shoulders slump down and he groaned as he stood up. His body felt like it was pummeled by a Bewear, mostly due to his erratic sleep schedule. He somehow willed himself to finally go get dressed, not bothering with his phone, not bothering with any outside entity whatsoever actually. He stared at the ensemble laid out before him, trying to somehow give himself the motivation to put it on. It wasn’t that it was uncomfortable, but more like he really did not want to go to this gala. Or, maybe it was that he wanted to go, but was afraid of what he would be met with. Fear of the unknown. Of course it’d be all too easy to sit at home, that's what every ounce of his body screamed at him to do, but he knew he’d regret it. Instead, he managed to don his picked out ensemble. He fixed up his bangs as it's the only part Marnie didn’t touch, figuring he would want it to be loose anyway. He still took fifteen minutes longer to finally forced himself out the door. Phone, Keys, Wallet, and Obstagoon’s ball just in case. 

At Rose Tower, the gala was underway, the ballroom completely transformed from its bare essentials earlier in the day to an extravagant event hall adorned with various flower arrangements on the tables and even a lattice wall decorated with roses and vines on the balcony. The giant windows of the ballroom allowed the twinkling stars and full moon to be on full display while the crowd of various guests or a variety of backgrounds and professions enjoyed their night. Rose had already given his opening statement, congratulating everyone on another successful Gym challenge season and properly introducing the new leader changes, formally introducing Bede and Marnie as the prospect Fairy and Dark type gym leaders respectively. He also addressed Gloria as the new champion and Leon and Gloria posed for a picture. Each gym leader both new and old, received a special pin as well as a bouquet of their favorite flowers. And all but one were taken. No one paid it too much mind other than Nessa and Marnie. How could they, when everyone was enraptured by the heavenly angel on stage singing of the joys of life and love to tunes that got people swinging and swaying alone and with partners on the dance floor. Chrysolite was in full performance mode and did her best not to think of anything other than doing a good job. It was stressful enough to be her first contracted obligation by the chairman himself, it didn’t matter that his wife happened to be her best friend or that they both have known her for years. If she even thought of Piers while she was singing in this moment, she would almost certainly waver. So Chrysolite stayed intensely focused on putting on a good show, the crowd enjoying every moment of it. Weaving her tale of love and joy to enhance the evening’s festivities up until it was intermission for the band and everyone got a break. While her members took to nourishing themselves with food and water, Chryssi took her bottle of water with her and chose to seek out Cressida. It didn’t take much looking, the Chairman’s daughters basically flagged her down and she smiled in relief as Cressida walked up to her from the table they were sitting at. 

“Chryssi, you sound as lovely as ever! Given, I expected nothing less from someone of your talent!” She said happily. “Are you enjoying yourself? Do you like what we’ve done with the place? I feel like Oleana and her team have done it once again, of course they did have a little help from me, but nonetheless…” Cressida was beginning to ramble, evident that she had been drinking her favorite wine all night, while the girls were also trying to talk her ear off at the same time. Rose was out and about, mingling with his guests and Chryssi was ignoring all of them, surveying the crowd as best she could, but she was disappointed to see that even after half of the gala was already done with, a certain gym leader was still missing. 

Bringing her attention back to her cheerfully intoxicated friend, Chryssi answered her.

“Um...Yes everything is lovely Cressida, could you do me a favor and please keep an eye out for Piers? I think I need some fresh air…” She knew the words wouldbe forgotten, but she said them anyway for what it was worth. As Chrysolite made her way towards the balcony, she was stopped a couple of times for pictures or to be thanked for her musical stylings, to which she graciously posed with attendees and appreciated the showering of compliments she was given. When finally able to make her escape Chrysolite walked out onto the balcony and sighed, making sure the door shut behind her. Outside, she was free to let her feelings and nerves come forth, she wouldn’t be singing much after this intermission anyway. And like most cases when letting herself work through internal struggles, Chrysolite tended to talk to herself aloud. She looked up at the night sky and sighed. “By this point… I feel even he would have shown up…. Cressida is usually a woman of her word though so...maybe I’m just blind.” She started to slowly think about the situation at hand, not thinking in the slightest of the possibility that someone could be on the opposite of this eight foot tall rose covered wall.

“Perhaps I just overlooked him. I did see Marnie, but if memory serves, she’s less introverted than he was. Maybe I should have asked her…What good would it do though? We haven’t seen each other in nearly six years. Would he even recognize me? ...Would he care to see me? People can do a lot of growing in that time….maybe tonight is no different. He could quite simply be sitting at home. If i were him….I can’t say I would blame him.... Have I truly been a fool all along?”

As Chryssi mulled over what she could be doing and slowly becoming more and more distraught, a particular individual was frozen in silence listening to her. They dared not make a single sound, lest she learn someone was in fact on the other side and had been paying full attention to every single word that fell from her lips. Piers had shown up an hour prior and had been hiding out of view on this balcony ever since. Just when he was about to light a cigarette he bummed off of one of the guests, Chrysolite had started talking, sending shivers down his spine. He stood there, a mere three feet on the opposite side of a wall, immobilized. Piers’ heart was racing and he swallowed, his cravat suddenly feeling very tight. Still reeling from just hearing her all to familiar voice, his mind was racing at all of the things he could be saying or even doing. He wasn’t anywhere prepared to face her. At least that's what he kept telling himself. Hearing her slowly become more and more upset, however, was not helping the situation at all and so he sucked it up and decided to proceed with lighting the cigarette, betting on the flick of the lighter to get her attention. A small gasp came from the other side of the wall followed by a hushed, “I-is somewhere there?” He took a long drag from the cigarette before speaking, hoping to Arceus he could change the tone of his voice so she wouldn’t be able to tell it was him.

“I‘m sorry Miss, just came out here for a smoke. Sounds like you’re overthinking a bit there though…” Piers said softly before blowing out the smoke. There was a pause followed by Chryssi speaking once again.

“Oh I see… I hope I didn’t bother you. I wanted to clear my head.” She said softly, feeling guilty for even expressing her thoughts in the open. Piers chuckled. “ ‘s all good, love. Part of the reason why I came out here myself. You’re welcome to keep talking if ya want.” He mused. At his statement, Chryssi hummed and leaned over the guardrail, propping her head up on one of her hands. 

“Oh I don’t know…. Tell me, do you believe in second chances?” She asked thoughtfully, looking out at Wyndon below them.

Piers had his back against the wall and hummed in thought. “Well...I used to. Things change as you grow up though. Ya see the world for how it really works and it kinda tanks on that naive nature a bit, don’t ya think?”

Chrysolite frowned slightly, but nodded to herself. “Yeah...I see what you mean. But what if everything seemed to line up perfectly for such an encounter to happen? Like, against better judgement, against my doubts, it seemed like the world was screaming at me that this is your shot? Do we choose to ignore those signs or opportunities? Are we wrong for wanting to believe in something like?” For whatever reason hearing the passion that built up in her voice on this topic unnerved Piers and he fidgeted with his necklace a bit, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out how he wanted to respond without alerting her of his identity.

“...Normal to have hope, mate. It's part of being human. In some cases, it's the only thing ya have left. ...but tell me something. Why put yourself through this for someone ya ‘aven’t even seen, let alone spoken to in over five years? Thats...a lot of stress to be given yerself.” He couldn’t help his accent from coming through anymore, desperately wanting to know her answer. Chrysolite paused for a moment before laughing softly.

“You’re right, it is quite the amount of stress….But it’s not like we had a choice in the matter. Perhaps I am being a fool, but I would like to think that maybe, just maybe, this was our chance to pick up where we left off. ...It is odd, but I can’t help these feelings I hold in my heart. Ever since I got this job for this specific event, I had been thinking about it and forced myself to revisit past memories and think of how abrupt of a stop we had to come to.” She looked down at the streets far below them and continued. “No matter how many times I go over it in my head though, I can’t help but feel that despite everything that happened, that he’d feel as strongly as I do about wanting to meet again. Unless of course, he succeeded where I failed in trying to sweep such feelings away as if it never happened. He never did like to go too in depth for such strong emotions, but how could he with everything else he had going on with his life at the time.” Her words plucked his heart strings like a fiddle and he felt himself blush, gripping his necklace tighter. She wasn’t wrong in the slightest. After all these years it seemed like Piers hadn’t changed much at all listening to the way Chrysolite described him. She sighed and didn’t wait to hear what he had to say next before deciding it should be close to her final set, unbeknownst to the internal struggle she’s been feeding to the man behind the wall.

“Ah I hope I’m not being a nuisance, I should probably go ba-”

“Wait.” Piers wasn’t even sure he had blurted the word out at first, thinking he was fighting at the overwhelming desire to have more time on this balcony speaking to the idol. Chrysolite turned her head to face the wall, one hand on the guardrail. 

“Hm? Is there something you’d like to add, sir?”

His heart was pounding in his chest but he forced himself not to chicken out and ask one last question.

“Um… If ya don’t mind me askin’, just what...what would you do if he were to show up tonight? How would you get his attention so you could try and amend things between you both?” PIers was cursing internally at the subtle shaky tone his voice took, but he said what he wanted at least. Chryssi raised an eyebrow, unsure if she should think too much on the vocal shift the man had. 

“Well...If he decides to show up, and if he remembers, there is one song in particular I’ll be betting to grab his attention.” She began walking towards the doors. 

“After all, he is the one who wrote it.”

There she left Piers alone in his thoughts with the night air to help process what just happened. He slowly slid down the wall and sat with knees hugged to his chest. He made sure to savor the last of his cig before sighing in frustration. 

“After all this time you still somehow managed to hold onto a rare encounter. Astounding…” 

He didn’t dwell too much on what she spoke of, knowing full well he could easily stay the entire night going over everything he probably should have worked out on his own sooner. So instead of overthinking, Piers willed himself to stand back up and face his friends. In a way it was relieving to hear that Chrysolite as well struggled with her feelings. It made him feel more at ease in a sense. A common thread for what happened and how neither one of them could ever really get past that into adulthood. Though there would be quite a lot he’d have to come to terms with and work on being a better person, just hearing her honest feelings about it gave him the courage to risk it all as well. Closure, if nothing else.

Back inside the ballroom, Nessa and Milo were the first to spot him and happily greeted their fellow gym leader as well as giving him a place to sit. 

“Oh there you are! I guess we missed seeing you arrive earlier!” Milo said kindly. Piers expected Nessa to shoot him a glare but she did nothing of the sort as the Darky gym leader sat next to the happy couple.

“Glad you made it, Piers. Marnie was worried about you.” Nessa said warmly, her hand entwined with Milo’s still. 

“Hm? Oh jeez, where’s she at now?” Piers said as he looked around. Nessa chuckled. “She’s with the twins and the rest of their gym challenge crew dancing. Don’t worry, she’s been having a good time.”

“Hey look who made it after all! Was wondering if we’d see you or not! Lee has been worried about ya!” Raihan had popped up out of nowhere and put an arm around Piers’ shoulder, catching the quiet man off guard.

“Ack! Bloody 'ell mate, I’m just sittin’ ‘ere!” Piers exclaimed and Raihan laughed, patting his shoulder.

“You know I’m just messin with ya, ‘sides, you didn’t miss much, just the same ol’ song and dance Rose gives us. What you did miss was the flex that Milo decided to pull on us.” He whispered the last part and Nessa shot Raihan a knowing look after he gave Milo a fist bump.

Milo laughed and rubbed the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. Piers was still trying to adjust to being around everyone again but after more conversing and more of the leaders gathering round, he felt at ease. When Leon walked up, he got to see Raihan forced to dance with Opal who didn’t smack him with a parasol like the other leaders thought, but was appreciative of the gesture, calling him “a handsome young man” which in turn caused the younger gym leaders to snicker at him. Gordie had made sure to capture the moment with his rotom phone. The gym challenge crew and new champion were having a good time enjoying Chrysolite’s concert and dancing on the dance floor. Hop nudged Marnie at one point when he finally noticed Piers had arrived.

“Well looks like everything worked out, huh Marnie?” Hop nodded his head to the direction where the other gym leaders were sitting.

“Hm? Oh, guess so.” She said in a monotone voice causing Gloria to giggle.

“You don’t have to lie to us, Marnie! I’d worry if my brother didn’t keep his promises too!” Gloria said and Victor nodded. “At least now you can relax! Come on, let's go take a break!” Gloria exclaimed and grabbed Marnie’s hand before leading her off to the table they left their stuff, the boys tagging along. Bea smiled and Allister waved before they showed them their ACNH islands. The pair was serious about not caring at all what Rose had to say and sitting at their table playing their new game all night. 

Even the chairman was having a good time, taking to dancing with his wife, Cressida and being sappy lovebirds much to their daughters’ disgust.

“Ewww you all are being mushy again!” Marigold said and stuck her tongue out while Blossoms giggled. Cressida smirked and stuck her tongue right back at Marigold.

“Oh? You think me kissing your father is gross, huh? Well I guess I should do it again!” She said with one of her signature laughs before she gave Rose another sweet kiss. The girls groaned in disgust again and ran away. “Disgusting! Come on Blossom! Let's go find Miss Oleana, She’ll have to battle me this time for sure!” Marigold said to her younger sister, eager to get away from overly affectionate parents. Blossom rolled her eyes. “Miss Oleana said she wouldn't battle you today, she said she’s busy!”

“When has that ever stopped me? She’ll see how strong I am and won’t be able to resist!”

With the girls off on their own adventure and all other guests enjoying their night it was time for the last song from Chryssi and the Gems.

The timid singer began to address the audience and in an instant all eyes were on her. The stage lights made it hard for her to pick out any in specific in the crowd, but maybe that was a good thing. She wasn’t as nervous as she was before her break and Chryssi hoped this meant she’d have smooth sailing with her plan. As the music died down to background noise, Chryssi began her final message.

“How has everyone been doing? Good I hope! It’s been great to see all your smiling faces and how you’ve danced the night away.” She let out a sweet chuckle before continuing. “I can not express the gratitude I have for Chairman Rose, Vice President, Oleana, and all of the Macro Cosmos organization for having me as your nightly entertainment. Take a look around this room- it’s not often so many unique and absolutely talented individuals are gathered together for one night to honor their skills and the work they do. From gym leaders to health workers, and everyone in between. Truly, I hope you felt as special as I did being here tonight.” She paused and curtsied for a moment as the room applauded. “Alas, it is time for one last song before I bid you all goodnight. I don’t think it is one that anyone here has heard, however...If you know the words, please feel free to join me on stage.” A murmur went over the crowd as she picked up her acoustic guitar. 

“This song is called World’s Edge, and...Well I hope its message reaches you.” She said with a smile as she strummed a few notes before beginning to play.

_A fire is burning ever so brightly, a sound of clarity pierces my soul._

_Let the pieces fall where they may, the outcome will always be the same._

_So lie with me, darling and sing those sweet nothings._

_Paint my heart and weave a tale of honesty._

_Cause the world’s on fire and we may not get this chance._

_So hold me close, and breathe in._

While guests were looking back and forth at each other to see if anyone was standing up, Piers was sitting, partially in shock to see Chrysolite on stage, playing her own guitar and singing the song he wrote. His leg was shaking. It was like he was frozen, knowing he should move, but he couldn’t. Stage fright? Something like it. Nessa glanced over to him and saw his obvious stare, smiled and then nudged him. He shook his head and looked at who nudged him. Milo and Nessa were giving him a thumbs up, encouraging him to move. He gave them a small smile and during the lead up to the second verse, he walked toward the stage. Chryssi, who was getting lost in the moment just happened to open her eyes to see someone walking up to the stage, but the lights made it hard to see who it was. It wasn’t until Piers was actually standing next to her that she nearly stopped playing the song. He had completely caught the woman off guard, even if she anticipated for this very moment. After six years, they were finally seeing each other. Even more, their first order of business was singing the duet he made specifically for them all those years ago. It was far too much and Chryssi couldn’t help but tear up. She gave him the warmest of smiles, unable to do much else lest she interrupt the song, and he returned it, placing a hand over his heart and giving her a small bow before he grabbed the mic. The second verse was his part so he took control, giving her hopefully enough time to regain composure when all she had to do was focus on playing. 

_And even if it all comes crumbling down, I’ll be wishing on a star for you._

_Whatever may come, I’ll hold on for you._

_A wildfire is raging ‘cross the land, but as long as I’m with you, let it all burn._

_These feelings ring true, and things are tight._

_But the outcome can change._

_After the wreckage burns, life returns brand new._

_So hold me closer and breathe in._

When the next chorus hit he turned to her, lifted her chin with his finger, and stared into those purple eyes of hers, taking in all her features once again. No one else existed while they were on that stage together. Chryssi held his gaze, taking in his features as well and committing it to memory. She almost missed the cue to come back into for the chorus.

_It’s a wild fire baby and you're driving’ me crazy. Two worlds collide and now I'm so high._

_Adrenaline coursin’, take these feelings tonight_

_It’s a wild fire baby and you’re drivin’ me crazy. Against all odds we’ll survive,_

_just hold me close for the night_

_Burnin, building’ spinnin’, its tearin me up_

_Swirlin’, ragin’ roarin’, I’m getting caught up._

_Find our way out, there’s no holdin’ us back_

_Passion’s brewin’ and their fadin to black._

_I’ll run to the edge with you._

_I’ll send my cheers with you._

  
  
  


As the song ended and the crowd started cheering, Chrysolite could hear Cressida screaming her words of praise and she laughed, knowing Cressida was probably screaming more about Piers actually being up there with Chryssi versus Chryssi singing. Guests threw flowers on stage for Chrysolite and she was beaming. Before she could bow, she grabbed Piers’ hand and nodded when he looked at her curiously. Understanding, he nodded and then bowed with her, the crowd erupting into more cheers.

Down in the crowd the rest of the gym leaders, the champions and friends of Piers were snapping pictures and asking each other if anyone knew he was close with Chryssi. Nessa, keeping her promise of not saying a word, didn’t let on whatsoever that she knew the entire scope from Piers himself. Instead, she and Milo did their best to not let a mob of curious individuals bombard the two as they got off stage. Opal was the only one let through simply to show her gratitude for Chrysolite and happy to see the young woman she has grown into. Oleana also kept the crowd at bay and before anyone could get by, Chryssi was escorted out the back after whispering something into Piers’ ear. Back inside he slowly faced his friends and felt a bit overwhelmed with all of their questions, but he did his best to sum up each one without letting on too much. Marnie just laughed and shook her head, Gloria in shock at seein’ how animated the typical brooding man looked tonight. Before they all dispersed, Rose asked for the leaders to take several group pictures and then anyone else who wanted pictures could do so. It was some time before he could actually leave, but once he made sure Marnie would be safe going home, he said his goodbyes and headed to the lobby of Rose Tower. There he saw a few groups of guests still lingering about, Chrysolite and her band among them. They were taking pictures and signing autographs. She seemed to be in good spirits as she spoke with several gym leaders and took pictures with some of her favorites as well. Her bandmates saw him first and they made her aware. After the last picture was taken, Chryssi brought her attention to the man waiting for her off to the side. 

“Hello.” She said softly with a smile once she was in front of him, their height difference becoming glaringly obvious. Piers smiled. “Hey.”

“Chryssi, want us to take your equipment to the unit?” One of her bandmates called out as a couple of Macro Cosmos members arrived to help load up their instruments and speakers.

“Oh! That would be lovely, thank you!” She called back before turning back to Piers.

The two were in awkward silence, Chryssi fiddling with her fingers and Piers messing with his necklace as they dodged each other’s eyes. 

“Um...Thank you. For showing up that is. ...I know how much you hate parties like this.” She started.

“Wait...Are you the reason why Rose called me and offered to help fix Spikemuth?” Piers asked in a more serious manner than he initially meant to. Chryssi put her hands up and shook her head.

“N-no! Cressida, his wife, is actually my best friend! I don’t know what the chairman spoke to you about, I only confided in Cressida and she said she would speak with him to try to entice you to show.” Chrysolite stammered before dropping her hands and sulking.

“I-I’m sorry if either one said something inappropriate or insulted you.” She said sadly. Piers frowned and hesitated before grabbing one of her hands. 

“It's ok...I didn’t mean to sound so abrasive. I...don’t really see eye to eye with the chairman. After I took control of the gym you don’t know how many times I had to argue with him to let me stay in Spikemuth. Its uh...touchy subject, but if he keeps his word then at least the town might finally get some good things goin’ for it again.” He said with a sigh. “The chairman’s wife huh? How’d that happen?”

Chrysolite smiled. “Well… you already know how my mother was. Aside from my vocal instructor, the only other person I considered a friend was Cressida. She’s seen me since I was younger as I was always dragged to formal events and such. She’s been such a good friend, especially during all of this. It is because of her I was finally able to be freed from my parents.” 

Piers nodded. “Ah...Makes sense. Must be quite the powerful person to remove Mrs. Delphinium from the equation.” “Mhm..”

Once again the two went silent and stood awkwardly until a third party interrupted.

“What are you two still doing here? Go on, go have your happily ever after, I’ve been dying to see this for the past month! I’m sure there’s somewhere else you’d like to be talking anyways.” A familiar voice echoed in the now empty lobby.

Chryssi turned to see Cressida walking towards them with her hands on her hips. She rested her arm on Chryssi’s shoulder and looked at Piers. “Listen here lover boy and listen well. My friend has been an absolute mess. I did not go through all the trouble that I did to ensure your punk ass would actually show up. I don’t wanna hear you break her heart, she’s already been through enough. Got it?” She warned and Piers looked at the woman with wide eyes before nodding slowly.

“Good. Now go. I’m sure there is much to discuss.”

* * *

  
  


Cressida did not have to tell either of them twice and as they said their goodbyes. They ended up at a nearby park and sat on a bench together before filling each other in on everything they missed.

“I know...I know there’ll be a lot I have to work through, but...Chryssi honestly I’ll do whatever it takes not to lose you again. I’ve been a wreck without you on top of everything else that happened.”

“I know...and, I know I can’t take that pain from you. There is a lot I have to work through as well, but...If you’ll have me, I’m willing to try once more. Starting over is not the right phrase.” She placed a hand on his and looked up at him. “More like, picking up where we left off.”

Piers smiled and nodded. “I agree. We know too much to start from scratch. ...But, I would like to try and make this work. On our terms this time.” He said before standing and helping her to her feet as well.

“So, Miss Chrysolite Delphinium, would you be willing to waste your time on me again?” He asked in a sort of grandiose way before they both erupted into laughter and she playfully hit his shoulder. 

“It’s not a waste of time if it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted. So yes, Sir Piers of Spikemuth, you will have the pleasure of calling me ‘yours’ once more.” 

The pair laughed once more before coming close in a loving embrace, stroking each other’s cheeks and swaying under the moonlight. Chryssi had rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as if this were a dream she never wanted to wake from. Except it wasn’t a dream. And when Piers lifted her head and leaned down to kiss her, it still wasn’t a dream. Soft, tender lips met hers and warmed her from the inside out. Naturally, they ended up in Spikemuth and talked further, neither one answering calls or messages. Six years later and not much has changed. For the first time in many nights, Piers slept peacefully, blissfully cuddled with a love almost lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the love and support you've given me on this story. IT's short and sweet and that was my plan all along. There are a few epilogue chapters I want to write to further expand on their relationship but those will be worked on later!  
> A huge thank you to @digimonkaiserin on twitter for putting up with my 2am musings/screamings in the dm's about this story and brainstorming with me. And for letting me include their OCs Cressida,Blossom and Marigold in this story.  
> There is more in store for Chrysolite, but for now I will take a little break and make slow progress again on Get Pierced, writing more poems for Alolan Piers, and some side stories :) (like some more Nessa/Milo and such)
> 
> Thank you all again and I hope you stick around!


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